THE  COLLECTION  OF  ROSARIES  IN  THE 
UNITED  STATES  NATIONAL 

MUSEUM 


9 

BY 

IMMANUEL  M.  CASANOWICZ 

Of  the  U.  S.  National  Museum 


No.  1667. — From  the  Proceedings  of  the  United  States  National  Museum, 
Vol.  XXXVI,  pages  333-360,  with  Plates  21-30 

Published  April  17,  1909 


Washington 

Government  Printing  Office 


/ 


1909 


THE  COLLECTION  OE  ROSARIES  IN  THE 
UNITED  STATES  NATIONAL 

MUSEUM 


BY 

IMMANUEL  M.  CASANOWICZ 

Of  the  U.  S.  National  Museum 


No.  1667. — From  the  Proceedings  of  the  United  States  National  Museum, 
Vol.  XXXVI,  pages  333-360,  with  Plates  21-30 

Published  April  17,  1909 


Washington 

Government  Printing  Office 


1909 


THE  COLLECTION  OF  ROSALIES  IN  THE  UNITED 
STATES  NATIONAL  MUSEUM.^ 


By  Immanuel  M.  Casanoavicz, 
Of  the  U.  S.  ^National  Museum. 


( INTRODUCTION. 

The  rosary  is  a string  of  beads,  generally  formed  into  a circlet  or 
loop,  used  for  keeping  count  of  prayers  or  formulas  repeated  in  re- 
ligious devotions.  The  materials  of  which  it  is  made  range  from  nat- 
ural berries  or  common  wood  to  costly  metals  and  precious  stones.  It 
is  best  known  from  its  use  by  Roman  Catholics  in  devotion  to  the  Vir- 
gin Mary,  to  which  is  also  due  the  name  “ rosary,”  as  Avill  be  seen 
further  on.  But  long  before  they  caine  into  vogue  in  Europe  and 
among  Christians,  mechanical  devices  for  counting  the  repetition  of 
prayers  or  mystical  sentences  were  in  use  among  various  oriental 
peoples,  and  at  present  some  form  or  other  of  rosary  is  used  by  about 
three-fourths  of  the  world’s  inhabitants.  Man’s  natural  tendency  to 

“Literature  consulted;  William  Tayler,  The  Rosary  in  India,  .Tonrn.  ISoc.  of 
Arts,  XXI,  No.  1068,  London,  May  9,  1873,  pp.  461^70.  Monier  M,  Williams, 
Indian  Rosaries,  The  Atheimenm,  No.  2624,  I^ondon,  Feb.  9,  1878,  ]).  U88, 
and.  Buddhism  in  its  Connection  with  Brahmanism  and  Hindnism,  New  York, 
1889,  p.  383.  L.  Austin  Waddell,  Lamaic  Rosaries,  Their  Kinds  and  Uses,  Jonrn. 
Asiatic  Soc.  Bengal,  LXI,  Pt.  1,  1892,  pp.  24-33,  and.  The  Buddhism  of  Tibet, 
or  Lamaism,  London,  1895,  pp.  202-211.  J.  M.  .James,  Descriptive  Notes  on  the 
Rosaries  {jiu  dzu)  as  used  by  the  Different  Sects  of  Buddhists  in  .Japan,  Trans. 
Asiatic  Soc.  Japan,  IX,  Yokohama,  1881,  pp.  173-182.  Ignaz  Goldzieher,  Le 
Rosarie  dans  ITslam,  Revue  de  I’Histoire  des  Religions,  .Jan.-.Jnin,  1890,  XXI,  . 
pp.  295-300.  Rev.  Herbert  Thurston,  S.  J.,  The  Arclneology  of  the  Rosary 
Beads,  The  Month,  London,  April,  1901,  pp.  383-404,  and  History  of  the  Rosary 
in  all  Countries,  Scientific  American  Supplement,  No.  1370,  New  York,  April  5, 
1902,  pp.  21960-21963.  .John  R.  Volz,  Beads  in  the  Catholic  Encyclopedia,  II, 
New  York,  pp.  361-362.  Much  interesting  information  on  Chinese  and  Japanese 
rosaries  was  also  derived  from  manuscript  notes  of  Miss  Eliza  R.  Scidmore, 
which  she  deposited  with  the  larger  numebr  of  rosaries  described  in  this  i)a)ter 
in  the  National  Museum.  Mr.  William  E.  Salford,  of  the  Department  of  Agri- 
culture, and  Mr.  AVirt  Tassin,  of  the  National  Museum,  kindly  aided  in  identify- 
ing the  materia]  of  the  rosaries. 

Proceedings  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Vol.  XXXVI— No.  1637. 

333 


334 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  NATIONAL  MVSEUM. 


VOL.  XXXVI. 


iteration,  especially  of  prayers  which  have  assumed  a traditional 
form,  to  the  recital  of  which  a particular  merit  or  potency  is  attrib- 
uted, must  have  early  suggested  some  means  of  assuring  accuracy  of 
the  count,  such  as  the  fingers,  pebbles,  knotted  cords,  gradually  evolv- 
ing into  the  string  of  beads. 

Following  the  succession  in  time  of  the  appearance  of  the  rosary 
in  the  several  religious  systems  which  are  known  to  use  it,  the  paper 
will  treat  first  of  the  form  and  manner  of  its  use  among  the  Hindus  or 
Brahmans ; second,  among  Buddhists ; third,  among  Mohammedans ; 
and,  fourth,  among  Christians.® 

1.  THE  HINDU  Oli  BRAHMAN  ROSARY. 

The  Hindus  are  generally  believed  to  have  first  evolved  the  rosary. 

It  is  not  unreasonable  to  conjecture,”  says  the  noted  Indianist, 
Monier  M.  Williams,  that  the  original  invention  of  the  rosary  is 
due  to  India.  * No  other  country  in  the  world  stands  in  such 

need  of  aids  to  religious  exercises.  * * * The  pious  Hindu  not 

only  computes  his  daily  prayers  as  if  they  were  so  many  rupees  added 
to  his  capital  stock  in  the  bank  of  heaven,  but  he  sets  himself  to  re- 
peat the  mere  names  of  his  favorite  gods,  and  will  continue  doing  so 
for  hours  together.”  ^ It  is  first  mentioned  in  the  Atharva  Veda.® 
The  Sanskrit  name  for  the  rosary  is  japamala^  muttering  chaplet,” 
Mild  sometimes  smarana^  “ remembrancer.”  Corresponding  to  the  two 
great  religious  sects  into  Avhich  the  Hindus  are  mainly  divided  there 
are  twm  rosaries,  different  in  material  and  number  of  beads  used  by 
them.  The  rosary  of  the  Amtaries  of  Siva  is  a string  of  32  or  64  rough 
berries  of  the  rudraksha  tree  {Elaeocarpus'  ganitrus)  each  generally 
marked  Avith  five  lines,  the  roughness  perhaps  symbolizing  the  austeri- 
ties connected  with  the  Avorship  of  Siva,  and  the  five  lines  standing 
for  the  five  faces,  or  the  five  distinct  aspects  of  the  god.  That  of  the 
folloAvers  of  Vishnu  is  usually  made  of  the  wood  of  the  tulasi,  or  holy 
basil  {Ocimu'm  sanctum),  a shrul)  sacred  to  Vishnu,^^  and  generally 
consists  of  108  smooth  beads.  Hindu  ascetics  igogis)  are  said  to  some- 
times Avear  lieads  made  of  the  teeth  of  dead  bodies.  The  rosary  is 
used  by  the  Hindus  to  count  the  repetition  of  the  names  and  epithets 

®A.  V.  Williams  Jackson,  Persia.  Past  and  Present,  New  York,  1906,  p.  395, 
mentions  that  in  connection  Avith  the  funerary  rites  of  the  Parsees,  or  Zoroas- 
trians  in  Persia,  “ The  priest,  with  a rosary  of  beads,  asks  each  of  the  mourn- 
ers how  many  prayers  ne  aaoII  offer  in  memory  of  the  deceased.”  But  nothing 
further  could  be  learned  on  the  nature  and  use  of  the  Parsee  rosary. 

^ The  Atliemeum,  February  9,  1878,  p.  188. 

® Compare  E.  Washburn  Hopkins,  The  Religions  of  India.,  Boston  and  Lon- 
don, 1895,  p.  557. 

“ The  tulasi  shrub  is  pervaded  by  the  essence  of  the  great  god  Vishnu  and 
his  wife  Lakshmi,  and  is  itself  worshipped  daily  as  a deity."  J.  G.  Frazer,  Lec- 
tures on  the  Early  History  of  Kingship,  London,  1905,  p.  156. 


NO.  1667. 


COLLECTION  OF  ROf^ARIES—CASANOWICZ. 


335 


of  the  deity.  High-caste  Brahmans  merely  employ  it  to  assist  them 
in  counting  up  their  daily  prayers,  while  the  ascetics  consider  the 
operation  of  counting  a means  of  promoting  contemplation  and 
mental  abstraction,  which  is  so  highly  prized  by  the  Hindus.  Devo- 
tees attach  great  importance  to  the  size  of  the  beads,  which  may  vary 
from  small  seeds  to  heavy  balls  as  big  as  a human  skull.  Rosaries 
are  also  worn  by  the  Hindus  as  necklaces,  and  the  Vishnu  chaplet  of 
108  tulasi  beads  plays  an  important  part  in  the  ceremony  of  con- 
firmation, or  initiation,  which  children  undergo  at  the  age  of  G or  7, 
when  such  a rosary  is  passed  around  their  neck,  and  they  are  at  the 
same  time  taught  some  sacred  formula  or  sentence  to  be  recited  by 
them.  There  is  no  example  of  a Brahman  rosary  in  the  Rational  Mu- 
seum’s collection.  But  in  form  and  use  it  resembles  the  Buddhist 
rosary,  of  Avhich  it  apparently  was  the  parent. 

II.  THE  BUDDHIST  ROSARY. 

In  the  Buddhist  rosary  of  108  smooth  beads  may  be  recognized 
its  Brahman  origin.  In  fact,  the  rosary  and  even  prayer  itself,  must 
be  considered  an  accretion  upon  the  simple  original  s^^stem  of 
Buddha,  in  which  personal  divinity  has  almost  faded  into  a mere 
metaphysical  idea.”  The  rosary  in  Buddhism  is  accordingly  es- 
pecially peculiar  to  the  northern  school  (tlie  Mahyana,  or  great 
vehicle),  with  its  belief  in  the  merit  and  efficacy  of  meditation,  and 
in  the  potency  of  repeating  mystic  spells  and  formulas.  But,  though 
thus  borrowed  from  the  outside,  the  rosary  has  attained  in  Buddhism 
its  widest  diffusion  and  most  general  application.  It  forms  an  es- 
sential part  of  a Buddhist  monk’s  equipment. 

The  Buddhists  give  the  number  108  of  the  beads  a svmbolic  signifi- 
cation  of  their  own : The  number  108  is  said  to  correspond  to  a like 
number  of  mental  conditions,  or  sinful  inclinations,  which  are  to  be 
overcome  by  the  recitation  of  the  beads.®  The  number  108  seems 
to  have  a special  signification  in  the  tradition  and  ])hilosophy  of 
Buddhism;  108  Brahmans  were  summoned  at  Buddha's  birth  to  fore- 
tell his  destiny.  The  Burmese  foot  prints  of  Buddha  have  some- 
times 108  subdivisions;  the  Kahgyur^  the  Tibetan  sacred  writings  of 
Buddhism,  are  composed  of  108  volumes,  and  the  white  pagoda  at 
Peking  is  surrounded  by  108  columns.  So  also  in  Japan,  on  the 
festival  of  the  dead  (the  Ijominatsuri  or  honhu)^  which  is  observed 
from  the  13th  to  the  15th  of  July,  108  welcome  fires  {muhaebi)  are 

® In  the  Buddhist  Forty-two  Points  of  Doctrine,  article  10,  is  written;  “The 
man,  who  in  the  practice  of  virtue  applies  himself  to  the  extirpation  of  all 
his  vices,  is  like  to  one  who  is  rolling  between  his  lingers  the  beads  of  a chap- 
let. If  he  continues  taking  hold  of  them  one  by  one  he  arrives  speedily  at 
the  end.  By  extirpating  his  bad  inclinations  one  by  one  a man  arrives  thus 
at  perfection.”  Compare  Dr.  Zerfii  in  Journ.  Soc.  Arts,  May  9,  1873,  p.  460, 


336 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  NATIONAL  MUSEUM. 


VOL.  XXXVI. 


lighted  along  the  shores  of  the  sea  or  lake  or  river  by  which  a city 
or  village  is  situated.®  One  hundred  and  eight  rupees  are  commonly 
given  in  alms,  while  in  China  108  blows  are  an  ordinary  punishment 
for  malefactors. 

Alongside  of  the  full  rosary  of  108  beads,  employed  by  the  monks, 
there  are  in  vogue  rosaries  of  18  and  16  beads,  representing,  respec- 
tively, the  18  lohans^  or  chief  disciples  of  Buddha  counted  by  the 
Chinese,  and  the  16  rohans  of  the  Japanese.  The  common  people, 
moreover,  use  indifferently  rosaries  of  30  or  40  beads. 

The  material  of  the  Buddhist  rosaries  varies  accordine*  to  the 

c!5 

taste,  wealth,  and  rank  of  the  owner.  The  commonest  are  made  of 
seeds,  wood,  pebbles,  shells,  glass,  or  bone;  the  more  costly  of  jade, 
turquoise,  coral,  amber,  silver  and  gold,  and  even  of  pearls  and 
other  gems.  Marco  Palo  relates  that  the  king  of  Maabar  (that  is, 
Malabar),  whom  he  visited  about  1290  A.  D.,  had  a necklace  of  104 
(doubtless  an  error  for  108)  large  pearls  and  rubies  to  count  his 
prayers  upon.  Much  in  favor  for  rosary  beads  is  the  wood  of  the 
sacred  Bo-tree  (Indian  Pilpal,  a species  of  fig.  Ficus  religiosa)  ^ under 
Avhich  Sakya  Muni  attained  to  the  state  of  Buddha. 

The  countries  in  which  the  Buddhist  rosary  is  most  widely  used 
are  Tibet,  China,  and  Japan. ^ 

A.  TIIJETAN  ROSARIES. 

The  rosary  in  Tibet — called  trengwa.,  string  of  beads  ” — is  not 
only  an  essential  part  of  the  outfit  of  the  lamas,  as  the  Buddhist 
monks  are  called  there,  but  is  everywhere  in  appearance.  The  patron 
god  of  Tibet,  Cheresi  or  Padmapani,  is  represented  with  a rosary  in 
his  hand,  and  nearly  every  man  and  woman  carries  a rosary,  holding 
it  in  the  hand,  or  attached  to  the  girdle,  or  wearing  it  around  the 
neck  as  a necklace,  or  twisted  around  the  wrist  as  a bracelet.  Bay- 
men  also  use  it  to  assist  in  ordinary  calculations,  like  the  sliding  balls 
of  the  Chinese,  in  their  business  transactions. 

The  material  is  not  only  varied  according  to  the  taste  and  wealth 
of  the  owner,  but  is  also  determined  by  the  particular  sect  to  which 
the  devotee  belongs,  and  the  deity  to  whom  worship  is  to  be  rendered. 
The  head  lama  of  a large  and  wealthy  monastery  may  have  rosaries 

« Compare  Lafcadio  Hearn,  Glimpses  of  Unfamiliar  .Japan,  Ijonclon,  I,  p.  107. 

^As  regards  Burma,  Mr.  Waddell  (Journ.  Asiat.  Soc.  Bengal,  LXI,  p.  25) 
relates  that  he  met  several  Burmese  monks  “ possessed  of  a rosary,  called 
‘ Bodhi,’  consisting  of  72  black  snbcylindrical  beads,  which  I understand  were 
composed  of  slips  of  a leaf  inscribed  with  charmed  words  and  rolled  into 
pellets  with  the  aid  of  lacquer  or  varnish.'”  He  adds  ( ]).  83)  that  the  Burmese 
” seem  to  use  their  rosary  for  repeating  4he  names  of  the  Buddha  Trinity, 
namely,  Phra  or  Buddha,  Tara  or  Dharma  [law  I,  and  Sangha  [the  congrega- 
tion], and  the  number  of  their  beads  in  their  rosary  is  a multiple  of  3 by  3,  as 
with  the  lamas.” 


NO.  1607. 


COLLECTION  OF  ROSARIES— CAf^ANOWICZ. 


337 


of  pearl  and  other  precious  stones,  or  of  silver  and  gold.  The  yellow 
rosary  made  from  the  ochery  yellow  wood,  supposed  to  be  from  the 
Bodhi  tree,  usually  in  form  of  spherical  beads  about  the  size  of  a pea, 
is  used  for  all  kinds  of  devotions.  But  prized  above  all  are  beads, 
made  from  the.,  bones  of  a holy  lama.  . Lay  people,  however,  use 
rosaries  composed  of  any  sort  of  bead,  and  the  same  chaplet  may 
contain  beads  of  a variety  of  sizes,  materials,  and  colors. 

The  full  Tibetan  rosary  of  108  beads  is  usually  divided  by  three 
beads  of  a different  size  or  material  into  four  groups  of  27  beads  each. 
The  two  ends  of  the  string  before  being  knotted  are  passed  through 
three  extra  beads,  called  do  dzin  (spelled  rdog  hdzin),  “retaining 
beads  ” or  “ union  holders,”  as  they  keep  the  proper  rosary  beads  in 
position  and  indicate  the  completion  of  a cycle.  They  s}unbolize 
the  Buddhist  triad — the  Buddha,  the  doctrine  {dharma)  and  the 
community  {sangha).  Attached  to  the  main  string  are  two  small 
pendant  strings,  having  each  10  smaller  beads,  or  metal  rings,  one 
terminating  in  a miniature  dorje  or  vajra  (the  conventionalized 

thunderbolt  of  Indra),  the  other  in  a tiny  bell  {drilhu).  These 
pendants  are  used  as  counters  {drang  dzin)  to  keep  count  of  the 

number  of  times  the  rosary  is  said.  A bead  of  the  dorje  string  is 
slid  down  to  mark  a single  recital  of  the  rosary,  while  those  of  the 
bell  string  note  each  ten  repetitions.  They  thus  serve  to  register  the 
utterance  of  108  multiplied  by  10  multiplied  by  10  equaling  10,800 
prayers  or  formulas.  In  the  beads  of  lay  people  both  counter  strings  . 
record  only  units  of  cycles,  which  suffice  for  the  smaller  amount  of 
bead  telling  done  by  the  laity.  Sometimes  there  are  two  additional 
pendants  terminating  respectively  in  a magic  peg  {purhu)  and  a 
Avheel  {k^or  lo).  There  are  also  attached  to  the  rosary  string  small 
odds  and  ends,  such  as  keys,  tweezers,  toothpicks,  etc. 

The  formula  most  frequently  repeated  by  means  of  the  rosary,  and 
Avhich  is  uttered  at  the  conclusion  of  any  other  prayer  that  may  be 
recited,  is  Om  iriani  padme  hum!  which  is  commonly  rendered 
“Salutation  to  the  jewel  in  the  lotus  flower!”  in  allusion  to  Pad- 
mapani  (Sanskrit  Avalokiteshvara) , the  mystical  reflex  or  repre- 
sentative of  Buddha,  who  is  believed  to  have  appeared  on  earth 
from  a lotus  flower.  He  is  held  in  special  veneration  in  Tibet  as  the 
protector  and  patron  of  the  country,  and  is  believed  to  be  reincar- 
nated in  the  Dalai  Lama,  the  head  of  Tibetan  Buddhism,  by  the 
emission  of  a beam  of  light. 

1.  Tibetan  rosary. — Consisting  of  108  disk-shaped  shell  beads, 
divided  into  four  groups  of  27  beads  each  by  three  red  coral  beads. 
The  three  retaining  beads  are  a large  spherical  amber  bead,  a smaller 
disk-shaped  one,  and  a conicaL  one  of  coral.  The  four  counter 
strings,  with  10  silver  beads  on  each,  terminate  in  various  ornaments. 
This  form  of  rosary  is  in  common  use  among  the  lamas.  Length, 
Proc.  N.  M.  vol.  xxxvi — 09 22 


338 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  NATIONAL  MTJSEVM. 


VOL.  XXXVI> 


25  inches.  Kumbum,  Tibet.  (Plate  21,  Cat.  No.  167271,  U.S.N.M.) 
Lent  by  Hon.  W.  W.  Rockhill.® 

2.  Tibetan  rosary. — Consisting  of  108  disks  cut  from  human  skulls, 
divided  into  four  sections  of  27  each  by  three  larger  disks  of  conch 
shell,  with  two  retaining  beads  of  amber  and  wood,  respectively,  but 
without  counters.  Such  rosaries  are  especially  used  in  the  worship 
of  Dorje  jig-ch’e  (Sanskrit,  Yama),  the  king  of  the  dead.  Length, 
25  inches.  Tibet.  (Cat.  No.  130387,  U.S.N.M.)  Lent  by  Hon. 
W.  W.  Rockhill. 

S.  Tibetan  rosary. — Made  of  small  disks  of  rosewood,  with  four  red 
coral  beads  as  dividers.  It  has  no  counters,  and  the,  dividing  beads, 
as  also  the  three  retaining  ones,  have  to  be  counted  to  complete  the 
number  of  108.  Beads  of  reddish  color,  usually  of  red  sandalwood, 
are  used  in  the  worship  of  the  fierce  Tamdrin,  the  special  protector  of 
Laniaism.  Length,  15  inches.  Ta-chien-lu,  China.  (Plate  22,  fig- 
Cat.  No.  167267,  U.S.N.M.).  Lent  by  Hon.  W.  W.  Eockhill. 

Jf.  Tibetan  rosary. — The  same  as  No.  3.  Ta-chien-lu,  China.  (Cat. 
No.  167267,  U.S.N.M.).  Lent  by  Hon.  W.  W.  Eockhill. 

5.  Tibetan  rosary. — Consisting  of  108  disks  of  yellow  wood,  with 
the  dividing  beads  of  the  same  material,  only  slightly  larger  and 
thicker.  It  has  only  two  retaining  beads  and  no  counters.  It  is 
the  special  rosary  of  the  Gelupa,  or  reformed  school  of  lamaism. 
Length,  25  inches.  Batang,  China.  (Plate  22,  fig.  2,  Cat.  No.  131058, 
U.S.N.M.).  Lent  by  Hon.  W.  W.  Eockhill. 

6.  Tibetan  rosary. — Consisting  of  108  spherical  beads  of  yellow 
wood,  without  counters  and  with  only  one  retaining  bead.  Said  to 
have  been  brought  from  Lhasa,  the  holy  capital  city  of  Tibet. 
Length,  39  inches.  Ladakh,  Tibet.  (Cat.  No.  178120,  U.S.N.M.) 
Gift  of  Dr.  W.  L.  Abbott. 

7.  Tibetan  rosary. — The  same  as  No.  6,  only  the  beads  are  smaller 
in  size.  Length,  26  inches.  Ladakh,  Tibet.  (Cat.  No.  178119, 
U.S.N.M.)  Gift  of  Dr.  W.  L.  Abbott. 

B.  CHINESE  ROSARIES. 

The  Chinese  name  for  rosary  is  su-chu.  The  full  or  long  rosary 
consists,  like  the  Tibetan,  of  108  beads,  and  is  also  usually  divided 
by  three  beads  of  a different  size  or  color  into  four  groups.  The 
shorter  rosary  has  18  beads,  corresponding  to  the  18  chief  disciples 
of  Buddha,  or  lohans.  The  ends  of  the,  string  are  j^assed  through 
two  retaining  beads,  a large  globular  one  and  a smaller  oblong  or 
oval  one.  The  large  bead  sometimes  contains  a sacred  relic  or  charm. 

® The  rosaries  lent  by  Mr.  Rockhill  have  also  been  described  by  their  owner 
in  Notes  on  the  Ethnology  of  Tibet,  by  William  Woodville  Rockhill,  in  the 
Report  of  the  U.  S.  National  Museum  for  1893,  pp.  736-738  and  pis.  35-37. 


NO.  1667. 


COLLECTION  OF  ROI^ARIES—CAI^ANOWICZ. 


339 


The  Chinese  official  necklace,  worn  by  dignitaries  on  state  occa- 
sions, is  the  Buddhist  rosary  which  was  made  a part  of  the  court 
costume.  These  official  su-chus  are  often  made  of  costly  materials 
and  adorned  with  fine  carvings.  They  are  here  represented  by  the 
following  two  numbers. 

8.  Chinese  official  su-chuC — The  108  beads  of  the  main  string  are 
palm  wood  balls  five-eighths  of  an  inch  in  diameter.  The  dividing, 
as  also  retaining,  beads  are  of  silver,  richly  enameled,  measuring  IJ- 
inches  in  diameter.  The  three  counter  strings  have  each  ten  beads, 
likewise  of  enameled  silver,  but  of  smaller  size,  being  only  one-half 
inch  in  diameter.  From  the  retaining  beads  is  suspended  a silk 
ribbon  embroidered  with  small  glass  beads  of  diverse  colors  to  repre- 
sent the  Swastika  and  other  symbols,  with  a silver  enameled  medal- 
lion, measuring  by  If  inches,  in  the  center,  and  terminating  in  an 
oblong  or  oval  bead  2 inches  long.  Such  an  oval  bead  is  also  at  the 
end  of  each  of  the  three  counter  strings,  each  inches  long.  They 
are  called  the  “ four  dewdrops,”  which  they  resemble,  or  the  ‘‘  dis- 
ciple beads,”  or  the  ‘‘  regents  of  the  four  heavens.”  They  typify  the 
emperor,  father,  mother,  and  the  teacher  to  whom  a Chinese  sub- 
ject owes  reverence  and  obedience.®  Length,  8 feet.  China.  (Plate 
23,  Cat.  No.  202869,  U.S.N.M.)  Gift  of  Mr.  Yang  Yu,  Chinese 
minister  to  the  United  States,  1897. 

9.  Chinese  official  su-chu^ — Made  of  glass  beads.  The  108  beads 
of  the  main  string,  five-eighths  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  are  amber 
colored;  the  dividing  and  retaining  beads,  1 inch  in  diameter,  are 
green,  while  those  on  the  counter  strings  and  the  medallion  or  disk 
on  the  pendant  ribbon  are  of  rose  color.  Length,  3 feet  8 inches. 
China.  (Plate  24,  Cat.  No.  5559,  U.S.N.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  E. 
Scidmore. 

10.  Chinese  rosary. — Consisting  of  108  globular  beads  made  of 
plum  stones.  Finely  carved,  so  that  on  each  bead,  measuring  one- 
half  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  are  seen  five  human  figures  in  the  midst 
of  flowers  and  trees.  Length,  4 feet  7 inches.  China.  (Cat.  No.  5526, 
U.S.N.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  E.  Scidmore. 

11.  Chinese  rosary. — Consisting  of  108  globular  beads  made  of 
rhinoceros  horn,  terminating  in  two  retaining  beads  and  a tassel  of 
white  silk.  Length,  4 feet  8 inches.  China.  (Cat.  No.  5541, 
U.S.N.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  E.  Scidmore. 

12.  Chinese  rosary. — Consisting  of  108  globular  beads  made  of 
ebony.  Used  by  pilgrims.  Length,  41  inches.  China.  (Cat.  No. 
5540,  U.S.N.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  E.  Scidmore. 

13.  Chinese  rosary. — Consisting  of  108  ovoid  beads  made  of  ebony, 
with  the  dividing  and  retaining  beads  of  reddish  agate.  Length,  40 

® The  information  on  the  Chinese  rosary  is  largely  derived  from  Miss  Scid- 
more’s  notes. 


340 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  NATIONAL  MUSEUM. 


VOL.  XXXVI. 


inches.  China.  (Cat.  No.  5521,  U.S.N.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  R. 
Scidmore. 

H.  Chinese  rosary. — Consisting  of  108  globular  beads  made  of 
polished  palm  wood,  with  the  dividing  and  retaining  beads  of  white 
glass.  Length,  44  inches.  China.  (Cat.  No.  5544,  U.S.N.M.)  Lent 
by  Miss  Eliza  R.  Scidmore. 

15.  Chinese  rosary. — Consisting  of  108  pearl-colored  glass  beads; 
the  dividing  and  retaining  beads  are  green.  Length,  35  inches. 
China.  (Cat.  No.  5522,  U.S.N.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  R.  Scidmore. 

16-18.  Three  Chinese  rosaries. — Consisting  each  of  108  globular 
beads  made  of  black  wood.  Length  of  each,  36  inches.  Hoihau, 
China.  (Cat.  No.  154242,  U.S.N.M.)  Collected  by  Dr.  Julius 
Neumann. 

19.  Chinese  rosary. — Consisting  of  18  olive-shaped  beads,  probably 
made  of  some  wax  or  resin  composition,  each  being  carved  into  an 
image  of  one  of  the  18  lohans.,  or  saints,  with  their  special  attributes. 
(See  illustration  to  No.  50.)  The  term  lohan  (Japanese,  rohan;  San- 
skirt,  arhant)  is  applied  to  those  disciples  and  followers  of  Buddha 
who  have  attained  the  highest  degree  of  perfection.  Length,  23 
inches.  China.  (Cat.  No.  130388,  U.S.N.M.)  Lent  by  Hon.  W.  W. 
Rockhill. 

20.  Chinese  rosary. — Consisting  of  18  peach-stone  shaped  beads, 
probably  made  of  some  wax  composition.  Each  bead  represents  in 
low  relief  on  one  side  the  image  of  a lohan  with  his  attribute,  on  the 
other  the  grotesque  head  of  a demon.  With  two  retaining  beads  of 
lapis  lazuli  and  agate,  respectively.  Length,  IT  inches.  China. 
(Cat.  No.  5513,  U.S.N.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  R.  Scidmore. 

21.  Chinese  rosary. — Consisting  of  18  beads  made  in  shape  of  wal- 
nut shells,  but  probably  of  some  wax  composition.  On  each  bead  is 
carved  in  low  relief,  on  one  side,  the  image  of  a lohan.^  on  the  other 
a Chinese  inscription,  perhaps  the  formula  Omito  Fat  (“  O,  infinite 
Buddha!”),  which  is  usually  repeated  by  Chinese  Buddhists  on  the 
rosary.  With  one  retaining  bead  of  agate.  Length,  23  inches. 
China.  (Cat.  No.  5507,  U.S.N.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  R.  Scidmore. 

22.  Chinese  rosary. — Consisting  of  18  beads  made  of  plum  stones, 
each  carved  into  the  head  of  a lohan.  With  one  retaining  bead  of 
malachite.  Length,  14J  inches.  China.  (Cat.  No.  5508,  U.S.N.M.) 
Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  R.  Scidmore. 

2S.  Chinese  rosary. — Consisting  of  18  beads  made  of  plum  stones, 
cut  into  the  form  of  vases  with  flowers  Length,  17  inches.  China. 
(Cat.  No.  5510,  U.S.N.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  R.  Scidmore. 

21^.  Chinese  rosary. — Consisting  of  18  beads  made  of  peach  stones, 
each  finely  carved  in  intaglio  with  the  figure  of  a lohan  with  his  spe- 
cial attribute,  surrounded  by  flowers  and  trees.  Length,  20  inches. 
China.  (Cat.  No.  5515,  U.S.N.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  R.  Scidmore. 


NO.  1667. 


COLLECTION  OF  ROSARIES— CASANOWICZ. 


341 


25.  Chinese  rosary. — Consisting  of  18  beads  made  of  peach  stones, 
each  cut  into  the  form  of  the  fish-shaped  templed  drum,  called  in 
Chinese  mo-yii^  in  Japanese  mokugio.  Length,  19  inches.  China. 
(Cat.  No.  5509,  U.S.N.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  E.  Scidmore. 

26.  Chinese  rosary. — Consisting  of  18  beads  made  of  the  dried  and 
polished  fruit  of  Elaeocaryus.  Length,  18  inches.  China.  (Cat. 
No.  130403,  U.S.N.M.)  Lent  by  Hon.  W.  W.  Eockhill. 

27.  Chinese  rosary. — Consisting  of  18  beads  made  of  the  fruit  of 

the  Trapa  hicornis  of  China,  which  resembles  a buffalo’s  head  with 
two  blunt  horns.  Length,  21  inches.  China.  (Cat.  No.  5512, 

U.S.N.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  E.  Scidmore. 

28.  Chinese  rosary. — Consisting  of  18  oblong  amber  beads,  with 
two  retaining  beads.  Length,  IT  inches.  China.  (Cat.  No.  5503, 
U.S.N.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  E.  Scidmore. 

29.  Chinese  rusary.— Consisting  of  50  beads  of  alternating  bone 
cylinders  and  oval  blue  glass  pearls.  Attached  to  the  retaining  bead 
is  a lizard  or  marmot  of  jade.  Length,  26  inches.  China.  (Cat.  No. 
5518,  U.S.N.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  E.  Scidmore. 

C.  JAPANESE  KOSARIES. 

In  the  Japanese  jiu-dzu  the  Buddhist  rosary  attained  its  highest 
development.  The  sho-zohi  jiu-dzu.,  or  the  rosary  used  by  all  sects  in 
common,  consists  of  112  beads  of  a uniform  size,  divided  by  two 
large  beads,  called  oya-dama^  or  parent  beads,  into  two  equal  parts. 
They  are  distinguished  into  upper  parent  bead,  ten-no  oya-dama., 
also  called,  father,  sun,  Buddha,  etc.,  and  lower  parent  bead,  chi-no 
oya-dama^  mother,  moon.  Bo,  divine  spirit,  Avhich  inspired  and  per- 
fected the  enlightenment  of  Buddha.  The  ends  of  the  string  before 
being  knotted  are  drawn  through  the  two  parent  beads  which  have 
for  this  purpose  a third  opening.  From  the  upper  parent  bead  ex- 
tend two  pendent  strings  on  which  are  strung  21  beads,  rather 
smaller  than  those  on  the  main  string,  in  the  following  manner: 
Immediately  above  the  large  parent  bead,  on  the  left  side  pendent 
string,  is  a solitary  bead.  Beyond  this  the  strings  are  knotted.  Then 
come  five  beads  on  each  string  when  they  are  again  knotted.  Still 
again  there  are  another  five  beads  on  each  pendant,  which  then 
terminates  in  an  elongated  bead,  called  dewdrop,  tsuyu-dama.  The 
use  of  the  solitary  bead  is  that  in  holding  the  rosary,  with  the  upper 
parent  bead  uppermost,  it  should  be  in  the  left  hand ; this  will  insure 
a right  signification  to  each  bead  during  prayer.  The  collective 
name  of  these  pendent  beads  is  hami-deshi.,  superior  disciples.  Ex- 
tending from  the  lower  parent  bead  are  three  strings  on  two  of 
which  are  five  small  beads,  called  shima-deshi^  or  inferior  disciples, 
each  terminating  in  a dewdrop  bead,  while  the  third  has  ten  small 
beads,  without  a dewdrop.  They  are  used  as  counters  and  are  called 


342 


PROCEEDINQS  OF  THE  NATIONAL  MV^EVII. 


VOL.  XXXVI. 


haclzu-tori.  The  four  dewdrop  beads  are  also  termed  shi-ten-no^  the 
four  regents  who  are  supposed  to  preside  over  the  four  quarters  of  the 
universe.  The  rosary  represents  metaphorically  the  Buddhist  pan- 
theon; and  the  position  of  the  four  dewdrops  at  the  ends  of  the 
strings  on  which  all  the  other  beads  are  strung,  thus  keeping  in  har- 
mony and  order  the  entire  rosary  as  it  is  intended  to  be  used,  is  sup- 
posed to  be  symbolic  of  their  actual  positions  of  power  and  authority 
in  the  universe. 

On  the  main  string,  at  an  interval  of  seven  beads  on  either  side 
from  the  upper  parent  bead,  are  two  beads,  rather  smaller  than  the 
others  and  generally  of  a different  material,  and  again,  at  an  inter- 
val of  fourteen  beads  from  these,  on  either  side,  are  other  two  of  the 
same  kind.  They  are  sometimes  erroneously  called  shi-ten-no^  the 
four  regents,  or  shi-hosatsu^  the  four  saints.  They  indicate  where  a 
special  invocation  is  to  be  uttered  while  the  rosary  is  lifted  to  the 
forehead  with  a reverence. 

A smaller  rosary  of  16  beads,  corresponding  to  the  16  Japanese 
Tolians^  or  chief  disciples  of  Buddha  (analogous  to  the  18  lohans  of 
the  Chinese),  is  chiefly  used  by  lay  people  on  ceremonial  and  social 
occasions.  It  has  only  one  parent  bead,  or  oya-dama^  and  one  elon- 
gated, tapering  bead  in  form  of  a vase  or  pagoda  (similar  to  the 
retaining  beads  in  the  Tibetan  rosary),  called  fusa-dome^  “tassel 
stopper,”  and  terminates  in  a silk  tassel.  Frequently  it  is  spaced 
by  two  saints’  or  Imsatsu  beads  of  a different  substance.  Moreover, 
the  Japanese  rosary  varies  in  the  number  as  well  as  the  arrangement 
of  the  beads  with  the  different  sects. 

The  rosary,  according  to  Miss  Scidmore,  who  traveled  extensively 
in  Japan,  plays  an  important  part  not  only  in  the  religious  life  but 
also  in  the  social  etiquette  of  Japan.  It  is  carried  by  monks  and  lay 
people  on  all  occasions  of  religious  celebrations,  on  visits  of  cere- 
mony or  condolence,  at  funerals,  etc.  There  is  always  a hook  on 
the  wall  or  on  posts  of  the  ceremonial  or  tea  room,  on  which  to  hang 
the  jiu-dzu^  and  a unique  or  historic  rosary  is  a much  appreciated 
ornament  for  a tea  room.  Among  the  treasures  of  the  Imperial 
Museum  in  Tokyo  is  the  jiu-dzu  of  the  regent  Shotoku  Taishi,  the 
Constantine  of  Buddhism  in  Japan,  who  died  in  621  A.  D.  All  the 
soldiers  in  the  late  liusso- Japanese  war  carried  rosaries  with  them. 
The  dead  are  always  buried  or  cremated  with  a rosary  slipped  on  the 
wrist,  and  the  mourners  in  a funeral  procession  likewise  carry  each  a 
rosary. 

Jin-dzu  shops,  marked  by  a gigantic  rosary  on  the  outside,  flourish 
at  every  place  of  popular  pilgrimage  and  at  some  of  the  larger  tem- 
ples, and  a rosary  that  has  been  consecrated  over  the  sacred  flame 
and  incense  smoke  of  a venerated  temple  is  greatly  valued  by  the 
devout. 


NO.  1667. 


COLLECTrON  OF  RO^^APJE^—CAHANOWICZ. 


343 

30.  Japanese  rosary. — Consisting  of  112  globular  beads  made  of 
cherry  wood.  It  is  the  sho-zoki  jiu-dzu  described  above,  which  is 
used  by  all  sects.  The  parent,  disciple,  regent,  and  saints’  beads  are 
of  the  same  material,  differing  only  in  size.  Length,  6 feet  6 inches. 
Japan.  (Cat.  No.  130,  683,  U.S.N.M.)  Collected  by  Mr.  Romyn 
Hitchcock. 

31-32.  Two  Japanese  rosames. — Consisting  each  of  112  globular 
beads  made  of  plum-tree  wood.  The  same  as  the  preceding  No.  30. 
Length,  6 feet.  Japan.  (Cat.  No.  130683,  U.S.N.M.)  Collected  by 
Mr.  Komyn  Hitchcock.  ^ 

33.  Japanese  rosary. — Consisting  of  112  small  globular  beads  made 
of  cherry  wood.  Used  by  the  Nichiren  sect,  which  was  founded  in  the 
middle  of  the  thirteenth  century  A.  D.  Its  rosary  is  similar  to  the 
sho-zoki  jiu  dzu^  differing  only  in  the  size  of  the  beads,  which,  as  a 
rule,  are  very  small  for  convenience  of  carrying  and  for  being  more 
easily  manipulated.  Length,  32  inches.  Japan.  (Cat.  No.  5525, 
U.S.N.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  E.  Scidmore. 

3Jf.  Japanese  rosary. — Consisting  of  112  beads  made  of  mother  of 
pearl.  The  two  parent  beads  are  of  amber,  the  four  spacing  or  saints’ 
beads  are  of  red  coral.  This  rosary  is  used  by  the  Shin-Gon  sect, 
which  was  founded  805  A.  D.  Length,  4 feet.  Japan.  (Plate  25,  fig. 
1,  Cat.  No.  5555,  U.S.N.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  K.  Scidmore. 

35.  Japanese  rosary. — Consisting  of  112  beads  made  of  smooth 
peach  stones.  The  beads  on  the  pendant  strings,  as  also  the  parent 
and  spacing  beads,  are  of  glass.  Length,  8 feet.  Japan.  (Cat.  No. 
5545,  U.S.N.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  R.  Scidmore. 

36.  Japanese  rosary. — Consisting  of  112  beads  of  some  dark-brown 
seeds,  with  the  beads  on  the  pendant  strings  and  parent  and  spacing 
beads  of  glass.  Length,  26  inches.  Japan.  (Cat.  No.  5550, 
U.S.N.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  R.  Scidmore. 

37.  Japanese  rosary. — Consisting  of  112  flattened  beads  made  of 
ebony.  Used  by  the  Zen  sect,  which  was  founded  at  the  beginning  of 
the  thirteenth  century  A.  D.  This  rosary  has  the  two  parent  and 
four  spacing  or  saints’  beads,  but  no  pendant  strings  with  their  dis- 
ciple beads.  The  ends  of  the  strings  run  out  from  the  upper  parent 
bead,  extending  about  4 inches  in  length  and  terminating  in  a knot 
without  tassel.  The  four  spacing  or  saints’  beads  are  here  placed  at 
intervals  of  18  beads,  so  that  by  means  of  the  two  parent  and  four 
saints’  beads  the  string  is  divided  into  six  sections  of  18  beads  each. 
The  j)arent  and  saints’  beads  are  of  glass.  Length,  28  inches. 
Japan.  (Cat.  No.  5528,  U.S.N.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  R,  Scid- 
more. 

38.  Japanese  rosary. — Consisting  of  174  flattened  beads  made  of 
black  wood.  The  parent,  pendant,  and  spacing  beads  are  of  glass. 
Perhaps  used  by  tlie  lay  ])eople  of  the  Zen  sect.  liength,  6 feet. 


344 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  NATIONAL  MV  SEEM. 


VOL.  XXXVI. 


Japan.  (Cat.  No.  5547,  U.S.N.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  E.  Scid- 
more. 

39.  Japanese  rosary. — Consisting  of  100  flat  beads  made  of  plum- 
tree  wood,  without  spacing  beads.  Length,  4 feet  10  inches.  Japan. 
(Cat.  No.  5519,  U.S.N.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  E.  Scidmore. 

IfO.  Japanese  rosary. — Consisting  of  82  globular  glass  beads.  The 
pendants  of  the  lower  parent  bead  are  without  beads.  There  are  also 
wanting  the  spacing  beads.  Perhaps  used  by  the  Monto  or  Ikkoshin 
sect,  which  was  founded  at  the  beginning  of  the  thirteenth  century 
A.  D.  Length,  22  inches.  Japan.  (Cat.  No.  5548,  U.S.N.M.)  Lent 
by  Miss  Eliza  E.  Scidmore. 

Jfl.  Japanese  rosary. — Consisting  of  80  beads  made  of  the  fruit  of 
Elaeocarpiis^  dried  and  polished.  At  an  interval  of  ten  beads  on 
either  side  of  the  parent  beads  are  three  smaller  glass  beads.  The 
pendant  strings  have  likewise  glass  beads.  Length,  5 feet  3 inches. 
Japan.  (Cat.  No.  5543,  U.S.N.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  E.  Scidmore. 

1^2.  Japanese  rosary. — Consisting  of  58  beads  made  of  carved 
cherry  stones.  With  one  parent  bead  of  glass  followed  by  an  elon- 
gated stopper  bead  {fiisa-donie)  of  mother-of-pearl  and  terminating 
in  a tassel  formed  of  eight  silk  cords.  The  four  spacing  beads  are  of 
amber.  Length,  24  inches.  Japan.  (Cat.  No.  5517,  U.S.N.M.) 
Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  E.  Scidmore. 

43.  Japanese  rosary. — Consisting  of  69  glass  beads,  without  any 
attachments  excepting  two  tassels.  It  was  hung  on  the  arm  of  a 
temple  image  in  Kioto.  Length,  25  inches.  . Japan.  (Cat.  No.  5535, 
U.S.N.M.)  Lent  bv  Miss  Eliza  E.  Scidmore. 

Japanese  rosary. — Consisting  of  54  beads  made  of  the  nuts  of 
the  Pride  of  India  (also  known  as  tree  of  paradise,  bead  tree,  or  holy 
tree — 2Ielki  azedarach) . The  parent  beads  are  of  black  wood,  while 
those  on  the  pendant  strings  are  of  glass.  There  are  no  dewdrops 
nor  spacing  beads.  Length,  41  inches.  Japan.  (Cat.  No.  5542, 
U.S.N.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  E.  Scidmore. 

45.  Japanese  rosary. — Consisting  of  100  beads  of  “Job’s  tears” 
{Coix  lachrynia-jobi) , with  only  one  pendant  string  from  either  par- 
ent bead,  the  other  evidently  having  been  worn  off.  Length,  4 feet. 
Japan.  (Cat.  No.  5534,  U.S.N.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  E.  Scid- 
more. 

46.  Japanese  rosary. — Consisthig  of  192  beads  made  of  black  Avood. 
It  is  probably  made  up  of  two  different  strings,  as  the  beads  are  of 
unequal  size.  At  irregular  interA^als  are  tAvo  or  three  glass  beads. 
From  either  of  the  parent  beads  extend  two  strings  Avith  tassels,  but 
Avithout  beads.  Length,  5 feet  4 inches.  Japan.  (Cat.  No.  5539, 
U.S.N.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  E.  Scidmore. 

47.  Japanese  primitive  necklace.^  so-called  “ Shinto  rosary?'’ — It 
consists  of  a string  of  30  glass  pieces  in  regular  alternation  of  one 


NO.  1667. 


COLLECTION'  OF  ROSARIES— CASAN'OWICZ. 


345 


in  form  of  the  toe  of  a bear  (the  sacred  animal  of  the  Ainus),  one  of 
a globe,  and  the  third  of  a tube  or  cylinder,  with  one  of  the  latter 
serving  as  a tassel  stopper  {fusa-dome).  Length,  25  inches.  Japan. 
(Plate  25,  fig.  2.  Cat.  No.  5520,  U.S.N.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  R. 
Scidmore. 

Jf8.  Japanese  rosary. — Made  of  flattened  mahogany  beads  peculiar 
to  the  Jodo  sect,  which  was  founded  by  Honen  Shonin  at  the  end  of 
the  twelfth  century  A.  D.  Its  rosary  consists  of  two  strings  of  beads 
reeved  one  within  the  other.  One  usually  has  40  flat  beads  with  one 
parent  bead ; the  other  27  of  the  same  size  as  the  40,  alternating  with 
28  smaller  ones,  and  likewise  one  parent  bead,  thus  making  a total 
of  95  beads,  exclusive  of  the  two  large  parent  beads.  On  the  second 
larger  string  is  a metal  ring,  sufficiently  large  to  allow  the  string 
to  pass  freely  through  it.  Attached  to  this  ring  are  two  pendant 
strings,  on  one  of  which  are  ten  small  round  beads,  on  the  other 
six,  both  terminating  with  dewdrop  beads.  On  the  smaller  string 
of  40  beads  the  single  prayers  or  formulas  are  recited,  while  the  larger 
string  of  55  and  the  two  pendant  strings  with  their  16  beads  are  used 
as  two  sets  of  counters  in  the  following  way : The  string  with  40 
beads  is  placed,  with  the  parent  bead  uppermost,  over  the  first  joint 
of  the  forefinger,  while  the  other  string  with  55  beads  is  held  between 
the  second  and  third  fingers  of  the  same  hand  and  used  as  a first  set 
of  counters.  The  upper  string  is  then  turned  by  the  thumb,  one  bead 
at  a time  for  each  prayer  or  formula  uttered,  beginning  with  the 
bead  next  to  the  parent  bead,  until  it  comes  round  to  its  starting 
point,  when  one  bead  of  the  lower  string,  starting  likewise  from 
the  parent  bead,  is  slipped  through  between  the  fingers,  one  bead 
for  every  revolution  of  the  upper  string,  until  the  whole  has  been  ex- 
hausted, when  recourse  is  had  to  one  of  the  small  pendant  beads  to 
register  the  fact.  The  whole  process  has  then  to  be  gone  over  again, 
so  that  by  the  time  the  whole  of  the  16  beads  has  been  used  35,200 
prayers  will  have  been  recited. 

The  invention  of  this  double  rosary  is  ascribed  to  Awanosuke,  one 
of  the  personal  attendants  of  the  founder  of  the  Jodo  sect,  its  ob- 
ject being  that  it  should  be  manipulated  only  with  the  left  hand, 
thereby  leaving  the  right  hand  free  to  minister  to  the  needs  of  his 
master,  thus  combining  praying  and  working  at  one  and  the  same 
time.  In  the  present  example  the  upper  string  has  36  and  the  lower 
30  beads,  all  of  the  same  size.  Length,  28  inches.  Japan.  (Plate  26, 
fig.  1.  Cat.  No.  5527,  U.S.N.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  R.  Scidmore. 

Jf9.  Japanese  rosary. — Consisting  of  18  beads  made  of  walnut 
shells  cut  in  the  shape  of  skulls.  Upon  the  parent  bead  are  carved 
two  groups  of  nine  figures  each,  representing  the  18  disciples 
{rohans').  The  tassel  stopper  is  of  mother-of-pearl.  The  two  cords 
which  extend  from  the  parent  bead  are  tied  with  three  peculiar  knots. 


346 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  NATIONAL  MV  SEEM. 


VOL.  XXXVI 


Length,  27  inches.  Japan.  (Plate  26,  fig.  2.  Cat.  No.  5516, 
U.S.N.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  P.  Scidmore. 

50.  Japanese  rosary. — Consisting  of  12  olive-shaped  beads,  prob- 
ably made  of  some  wax  or  resin  composition,  each  being  carved  into 
an  image  of  a saint,  with  his  special  attribute  (compare  above  No. 
19).  The  parent  bead  and  tassel  stopper  are  of  jade.  Length,  27 
inches.  Japan.  (Plate  26,  fig.  3.  Cat.  No.  5505,  U.S.N.M.)  Lent 
by  Miss  Eliza  P.  Scidmore. 

51.  Japanese  rosary. — Consisting  of  16  beads  of  the  same  material 
and  wmrkmanship  as  those  of  No.  50.  The  parent  bead,  the  tassel 
stopper,  and  U\o  spacing  beads  are  of  agate.  Length,  21  inches. 
Japan.  (Cat.  No.  5504,  U.S.N.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  P.  Scidmore. 

52.  Japanese  rosary. — Consisting  of  16  beads  in  shape  of  walnut 
shells,  but  probably  made  of  some  Avax  composition.  On  each  bead 
is  carved  in  low  relief,  on  one  side,  the  image  of  a saint,  on  the  other, 
some  animal  or  bird.  The  tassel  stopper  is  of  agate.  Length,  28 
inches.  Japan.  (Cat.  No.  5506,  U.S.N.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  P. 
Scidmore. 

53.  Japanese  rosary. — Consisting  of  18  beads  of  plum  stones.  On 
each  are  finely  carved  in  intaglio  four  human  figures,  surmounted  by 
an  open  lotus  flower  and  surrounded  by  plants  and  animals.  The 
parent  bead  is  of  amber,  wdiile  the  tassel  stopper  and  spacing 
beads  are  of  glass.  Length,  22  inches.  Japan.  Cat.  No.  5511, 
U.S.N.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  P.  Scidmore. 

5Jf.  Japanese  rosary. — Consisting  of  27  beads  of  smooth  plum 
stones.  The  parent  bead  and  twm  spacing  beads  are  of  wdiite  glass, 
Avhile  the  tassel  stopper  is  of  green  glass.  Length,  18  inches.  Japan. 
(Cat.  No.  5551,  U.S.N.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  P.  Scidmore. 

55.  Japanese  rosary. — Consisting  of  26  beads  of  smooth  plum 
stones.  The  Uvo  spacing  beads  and  the  tassel  stopper  are  of  green 
glass.  Length,  18  inches.  Japan.  (Cat.  No.  5552,  U.S.N.M.)  Lent 
by  Miss  Eliza  P.  Scidmore. 

56.  Japanese  rosary. — Consisting  of  21  beads  of  smooth  plum 
stones,  with  four  spacing  beads  of  pink-colored  glass.  Length,  21 
inches.  Japan.  (Cat.  No.  5529,  U.S.N.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  P. 
Scidmore. 

57 . Japanese  rosary. — Consisting  of  21  beads  of  smooth  plum 
stones.  The  parent  bead  is  of  wdiite  glass,  the  tassel  stopper  of  bone, 
and  the  twm  dividing  beads  are  of  green  glass.  Length,  15  inches. 
Japan.  (Cat.  No.  5531,  U.S.N.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  P.  Scid- 
more. 

58.  Japanese  rosary. — Consisting  of  20  beads  of  the  fruit  of  Elaeo- 
carjms^  dried  and  polished.  The  parent  bead  and  tassel  stopper  are 
of  porcelain,  wdiile  the  twm  spacing  beads  are  of  amber.  Length,  12 
inches.  Japan.  (Cat.  No.  5549,  U.S.N.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  P. 
Scidmore. 


xo.  IfiGT. 


COLLECT! Oy  OF  EO!iARIEE—CA!iAyOWJCZ. 


347 


59.  JajKinese  rosary. — Consisting  of  18  beads  made  of  palm  nuts. 
The  parent  bead  is  of  glass,  the  tassel  stopper  of  mother-of-pearl. 
Length,  26  inches.  Japan.  (Cat.  Xo.  5530,  U.S.X.M.)  Lent  b}^ 
Miss  Eliza  E.  Scidmore. 

60.  Japanese  rosary. — Consisting  of  18  beads  made  of  palm  nuts. 
The  parent  bead  and  the  spacing  beads  are  of  glass,  while  the  tassel 
stopper  is  of  porcelain.  Length,  20  inches.  Japan.  (Cat.  Xo.  5538, 
U.S.X.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  E.  Scidmore. 

61.  Ja])anese  rosary. — Consisting  of  16  beads  made  of  palm  nuts. 
The  parent  bead  and  tassel  stopper  are  of  porcelain,  the  two  spacing 
beads  of  yellow  glass.  Length,  15  inches.  Japan.  (Cat.  Xo‘.  5536, 
U.S.X.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  E.  Scidmore. 

62.  Japanese  rosary. — Consisting  of  27  beads  made  of  cumuna 
pods.  The  two  spacing  beads  are  of  reddish  agate,  the  parent 
bead  is  of  glass,  and  the  tassel  stopper  of  bone.  Length,  134  inches. 
Japan.  (Cat.  Xo.  5537,  U.S.X.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  E.  Scid- 
more. 

63.  Japanese  rosary. — Consisting  of  27  beads  made  of  dwarfed 
peach  stones,  with  the  parent  bead  of  black  wood.  Length,  13  inches. 
Japan.  (Cat.  Xo.  5533,  U.S.X.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  E.  Scid- 
more. 

61^.  Japanese  rosary. — Consisting  of  20  beads  of  the  berries  of  Pride 
of  India  {5Ielia  azedaracli).  The  parent  bead  and  tassel  stopper  are 
of  porcelain,  the  two  diyiding  beads  are  of  glass.  Length,  12  inches. 
Japan.  (Cat.  Xo.  5554,  U.S.X.M.)  Lent  b}^  Miss  Eliza  E.  Scid- 
more. 

65.  Japanese  rosary. — Consisting  of  20  beads  of  the  berries  of  Pride 
of  India  {51elia  azedaracli) with  one  parent  bead  of  glass.  Length, 
13  inches.  Japan.  (Cat.  Xo.  5532, 'U.S.X.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza 
E.  Scidmore. 

66.  Japanese  rosary. — Consisting  of  19  beads  of  pine  nuts.  The 
parent  bead  is  of  glass,  the  tassel  stopper  of  bone.  Length,  17  inches. 
Japan.  (Cat.  Xo.  5502,  U.S.X.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  E.  Scid- 
more. 

67.  Japanese  rosary. — Consisting  of  18  beads  made  up  of  yarious 
fruits,  nuts,  and  berries,  with  two  parent  beads  of  fruit  and  tassel 
stopper  of  bone.  Length,  23  inches.  Japan.  (Cat.  Xo.  5553, 
U.S.X.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  E.  Scidmore. 

68.  J ajjanese  rosary. — Consisting  of  34  globular  beads  made  of  red 
wood.  The  two  spacing  beads  and  the  parent  bead  are  of  glass,  while 
the  tassel  stopper  is  of  horn.  Length,  19  inches.  Japan.  (Cat.  Xo. 
5546,  U.S.X.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  E.  Scidmore. 

69.  Japanese  rosary. — Consisting  of  23  beads  of  alternating  wooden 
models  of  a pagoda  and  beads  of  mother-of-pearl,  quartz,  and  glass, 
with  parent  bead  and  tassel  stopper  of  agate.  Lenglh,  12  inches. 


348 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  NATIONAL  MU8EVU. 


VOL.  XXXVI. 


Japan.  (Cat.  No.  5514,  U.S.N.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  R.  Scid- 
more. 

70.  Japanese  funeral  rosary  from  the  Senkoji  temple. — Consisting 
of  11  cylindrical  wooden  beads  roughly  cut.  It  is  worn  around  the 
wrist  by  mourners  at  a funeral.  Length,  9 inches.  Japan.  (Cat.. 
No.  5501,  U.S.N.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  R.  Scidmore. 

71.  J apanese  rosary. — Used  for  the  Hiaku  mam-hen  devotion,  when 
the  formula,  Namu  Amida  Butsu.f  “Hail,  infinite  Buddha  !”  (short- 
ened into  Nem-hutsu!) which  the  Japanese  usually  repeat  by  means 
of  the  rosary,  is  recited  a million  times.  This  special  devotion  was 
instituted  in  Kioto  in  1331  A.  D.,  on  the  occasion  of  a devastating 
plague,  and  its  celebration  is  reserved  for  times  of  calamity,  such  as 
pestilence,  war,  and  famine.  At  certain  popular  temples,  however, 
it  is  almost  continually  observed  by  the  pilgrims.  For  this  service 
a rosary  of  1,008  large  wooden  beads  is  used.  The  present  specimen 
consists  of  897  flat  wooden  beads,  with  2 parent  beads,  from  one  of 
which  extend  2 pendent  strings  with  5 smaller  beads  on  each.  Length, 
20  feet.  Japan.  (Cat.  No.  5556,  U.S.N.M.)  Lent  by  Miss  Eliza  R. 
Scidmore. 

III.  THE  MOHAMMEDAN  ROSARY. 

The  Mohammedan  rosary,  called  suhha^  in  Persia,  tashik  (from 
the  Arabic  verb  sahhaha.,  “to  praise,”  “to  exalt”),  consists  of  99 
beads,  divided  into  three  equal  portions  by  a stone  or  bead  of  diU 
ferent  shape  or,  in  the  more  costly  varieties,  by  tassels,  called  shamsa 
(“  servant  ”),  made  of  gold  thread  or  variegated  silk.  The  Moham- 
medans use  the  rosary  for  the  recital  of  the  99  attributes  of  God,  as, 
“the  mighty”  {al-aziz)^  “the  holy”  {al-kuddus),  “the  merciful” 
{ar-rahman)  ^ “ the  loving  ” {al-wadud)  ^ “ the  forgiver  ” [al-ghafar) 
etc.  A hundredth  bead  of  larger  size,  called  the  imam  (“leader”), 
or  a tassel  in  its  place,  is  frequently  added  for  the  essential  name  of 
God,  Allali.^  Other  devotional  formulas  recited  by  means  of  the 
rosary,  are  the  ejaculations  known  as  the  takhir:  “God  is  very  great  ” 
{Allahu  akhar)  ; the  tashik:  “ I extol  God  ” {suhhana  illah)  ; the 
talimid:  “God  be  praised”  {al-hamdu  Villahi).,  and  the  tahlil: 
“There  is  no  deity  but  God”  {la  ilaha  ilia  illah).  Great  merit,  ac- 
cording to  tradition,  is  attributed  by  the  prophet  to  the  recital  of  the 
hundred  names  of  God,  or  to  the  repetition  of  these  formulas. 
“ Verily,”  he  is  reported  to  have  said,  “ there  are  ninety-nine  names  of 
God,  and  whoever  recites  them  shall  enter  into  Paradise,”  and  “ Wlio- 
ever  recites  this  sentence  (the  tashik  and  tahmid)  a hundred  times, 
morning  and  evening,  will  have  all  his  sins  forgiven.” 

® According  to  Mr.  R.  A.  Stewart  Macalister,  in  the  Palestine  Exploration 
Fund  Quarterly  Statement  for  July,  1908,  p.  172,  “ There  is  another  variety 
of  rosary  less  commonly  used,  with  101  pellets  corresponding  to  the  101  names 
of  the  Prophet.” 


NO.  1667. 


COLLECTION  OF  RO^ARIE^—CASANOWICZ. 


349 


Mohammedan  rosaries  are  frequently  made  of  date  stones.  Special 
value  is  attached  to  beads,  the  material  of  which  originated  in  the 
sacred  cities  of  Mecca  and  Medina. 

It  is  generally  assumed  that  the  Mohammedans  borrowed  the  rosary 
full-grown  from  the  Buddhists.  The  Mohammedan  tradition 
(hadUIi)  pushes  back  the  use  of  some  mechanical  contrivance  for 
counting  prayers  to  the  time  of  Mohammed.  It  is  related  that  the 
prophet  reproached  some  women  for  using  pebbles  in  repeating  the 
tashik,  takbir^  etc.,  and  recommended  that  they  should  count  them 
on  their  fingers.  In  a tradition,  collected  in  the  third  century  A.  H. 
(ninth  century  A.  D.),  is  related  that  Abu  Abd  al-Rahman,  son  of 
Abu  Bekr,  the  first  calif,  who  died  about  53  A.  H.  (673  A.  D.),  see- 
ing in  the  mosque  groups  of  worshipers,  reciting  under  a leader  100 
takhirs^  100  takhlils^  and  100  tasbihs  by  means  of  small  pebbles,  re- 
proached them  with  the  words,  “ Rather  count  your  sins,  and  I shall 
guarantee  you  that  nothing  of  your  good  works  will  be  lost.’’  Ab- 
dallah, son  of  the  calif  Omar,  who  died  73  A.  H.  (692  A.  D.)  , seeing 
one  picking  up  pebbles  Avhile  praying,  said  to  him,  ‘‘  Do  not  do  that, 
for  this  comes  from  Satan.”  All  this  may  point  to  the  adoption  of 
some  counting  device  at  the  time  when  the  recitation  of  the  above- 
mentioned  formulas  became  a practice,  the  date  of  which,  however,  can 
not  be  fixed  with  certainty.  The  use  of  pebbles  in  the  repetition  of 
these  litanies  would  seem  to  mark  a primitive  form  of  the  siibha,  the 
point  of  departure  in  the  evolution  which  resulted  in  the  rosary,  that 
is,  in  threading  beads  on  a string,  which  may  have  been  copied  from 
the  Buddhists.  It  also  shows  that  the  rosary  at  the  time  of  its  appear- 
ance met  with  some  opposition  from  the  conservatives  and  the  rigorists 
of  the  religious  discipline.  In  fact,  as  late  as  the  third  century  A.  H. 
(ninth  century  A.  D.)  the  use  of  the  subha^  as  an  instrument  of 
])rayer,  was  in  vogue  only  among  the  lower  classes  and  looked  down 
upon  by  the  theologians  and  higher  classes.  When  the  pious  ascetic 
Abu-l-Kassim  al-Gunejd  (died  279  A.  H. — 909  A.  D.)  was  found 
with  a rosary  and  expostulated  with,  since  he  “ belonged  to  the  better 
world,”  he  apologized  with  the  words,  I could  not  renounce  an 
object  which  was  the  means  of  bringing  me  nearer  to  God.”  Even 
in  the  seventh  century  A.  H.  (thirteenth  A.  D.)  Abu  Abdallah  Mam- 
med  al-Abdari,  called  Ibn  al-Hajj  (died  737  A.  H. — 1336  A.  D.), 
complains  over  the  exaggerated  use  and  esteem  of  the  subha  as  being 
contrary  to  the  primitive  simplicity  of  Islam. 

The  Wahabis,  followers  of  the  reformer  Abd  al-AYahhab  (1691- 
1787  A.  D.),  who  opposed  all  practices  not  sanctioned  by  the  Koran 
and  tradition,  regard  the  rosary  as  an  abomination  and  count  the 
names  of  God  on  their  fingers. 

72.  Mohammedan  rosary. — Consisting  of  100  globular  beads  made 
of  olive  wood,  divided  into  three  sections  by  two  vase  or  bottle- 


350 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  NATIONAL  MVSEUM. 


VOL.  XXXVI. 


shaped  beads.  The  two  ends  of  the  string  pass  first  through  the  hun- 
dredth bead,  then  through  a fusiform  or  spindle-shaped  tube,  and 
lastly  through  two  smaller  beads,  terminating  in  a green  tassel. 
Length,  40  inches.  Cairo,  Egypt.  (Plate  27,  fig.  1.  Cat.  No.  155166, 
U.S.N.M.) 

73.  Mohammedan  rosary. — Consisting  of  97  beads  made  of  blood- 
stones, with  two  dividing  beads  of  chalcedony.  Between  the  ninth 
and  tenth  beads  from  one  end  of  the  string  an  oblong  rectangular 
piece  of  chalcedony  is  inserted,  probably  to  complete,  with  the  two 
dividers,  the  number  100.  The  string  terminates  in  a tassel  of  silk 
and  gold  thread  tied  with  an  artistic  knot.  Length,  34  inches.  (Plate 
27,  fig.  2.  Cat.  No.  179075,  U.S.N.M.)  Collected  by  Dr.  G.  Brown 
Goode. 

74-  Mohammedan  rosary. — Consisting  of  91  beads  made  of  horn. 
On  either  side  of  the  two  dividing  beads,  which  are  vase  shaped  and 
inlaid  with  silver  dots,  are  three  coral  beads,  and  at  either  end  of  the 
string  two  coral  and  one  amber  beads.  The  ends  of  the  string  pass 
through  two  small  beads  of  horn  and  a fusiform  tube,  terminating 
in  a green  tassel.  Length,  31  inches.  (Plate  27,  fig.  3.  Cat.  No. 
179075,  U.S.N.M.)  Collected  by  Dr.  G.  Brown  Goode. 

75.  Mohammedan  rosary. — Consisting  of  102  beads  made  of  com- 
position, alternating  three  brown-colored  and  one,  somewhat  larger, 
black.  Length,  5 feet.  Monastery  of  Mount  Sinai,  Syria.  (Plate  27, 
fig.  4.  Cat.  No.  154561,  U.S.N.M.)  Gift  of  Mrs.  Layyah  Barakkah. 

76.  Mohammedan  rosary. — Consisting  of  100  beads  made  of  black 
wood,  divided  into  three  sections  by  two  beads  of  bone.  The  ends  of 
the  string  are  passed  through  an  oblong  piece  of  slate.  Length,  45 
inches.  Paris,  France.  (Cat.  No.  76709,  U.S.N.M.)  Collected  by 
Mr.  John  Durand. 

77.  Mohammedan  rosary. — Consisting  of  99  beads  made  of  bone, 
divided  -into  three  sections  by  two  date  stones.  The  ends  of  the 
string  pass  through  a large  bead  made  from  a piece  of  conch  shell. 
This  style  of  rosary  is  used  by  the  Mohammedans  in  China.  Length, 
30  inches.  China.  (Plate  22,  fig.  3.  Cat.  No.  167300,  U.S.N.M.) 
Lent  by  Hon.  W.  W.  Eockhill. 

IV.  THE  ROMAN  CATHOLIC  ROSARY. 

The  ordinary  Catholic  rosary  consists  of  150  small  beads  divided 
into  decades  by  15  larger  beads.  To  these  beads,  forming  a chaplet, 
is  usually  attached  a pendant,  consisting  of  a cross,  one  large  and 
three  small  beads.  The  devotion  begins  with  the  invocation,  “ In 
the  name  of  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost.”  Then  the 
Apostles’  Creed  is  recited  on  the  cross,  a pater  noster  (the  Lord’s 
prayer)  on  the  larger  bead  and  three  Ave  Maria  (Llail  Mary)  on 
the  three  smaller  beads,  closing  with  the  gloria  (Glory  be  to  the 


NO.  16f)7. 


COLLECTION  OF  RO^ARTE^—CAEANOWICZ. 


351 


Father,  etc. ) . This  forms  the  introduction  to  the  rosary  proper. 
Then  follow  decades  of  aves,  counted  by  the  smaller  beads,  each 
decade  preceded  by  a pater  noster,  for  which  a larger  bead  is  used, 
and  followed  by  a gloria.  The  150  aves  correspond  to  the  number  of 
Psalms,  hence  from  an  early  period  the  devotion  was  called  “ Our 
Lady’s  psalter.”  For  each  decade  a subject,  or  ‘‘  mystery,”  in  the  life 
of  Christ  and  Mary  is  set  for  meditation,  the  15  mysteries  being 
divided  into  5 joyful,  5 sorrowful,  and  5 glorious.  The  5 joyful  mys- 
teries are:  the  annunciation  (Luke  i,  26),  the  visitation  (Luke  i,  39), 
the  nativity  (Luke  ii),  the  presentation  (Luke  ii,  21),  and  the  finding 
in  the  temple  (Luke  ii,  41)  ; the  5 sorrowful  mysteries  are:  the  agony 
in  the  garden  (Matthew  xxvi,  36) , the  scourging  (Matthew  xxvii,  26) , 
the  crowning  with  thorns  (Matthew  xxvii,  29),  the  carrying  of  the 
cross  (John  xix,  17),  and  the  crucifixion  (Matthew  xxvii,  35)  ; the  5 
glorious  mysteries  are:  the  resurrection  (Matthew  xxviii),  the  ascen- 
sion (Luke  xxiv,  50),  the  descent  of  the  Holy  Ghost  (Acts  ii),  the  as- 
sumption of  Mary  into  heaven,  and  the  coronation  of  Mary  in  heaven 
(the  two  last  mysteries  are  accepted  on  the  authority  of  tradition). 
This  arrangement  of  definite  mysteries  does  not  occur  prior  to  the  fif- 
teenth century.  The  earlier  and  more  widely  accepted  practice  was  to 
assign  an  incident  of  Christ’s  life  to  each  ave  and  to  insert  some  short 
clause,  commemorating  the  incident,  into  the  ave  itself.  The  rosary 
most  in  use,  however,  consists  of  five  decades  of  small  beads  for  the 
aves  and  five  larger  beads  for  the  pater  nosters,  called  the  “ lesser 
rosary.”  Otherwise  it  is  arranged  in  the  same  way  and  recited  in  the 
same  manner  and  order  as  the  “ greater  ” or  “ full  ” rosary.  The  en- . 
tire  devotion  of  15  decades  may  be  said  on  it  by  counting  it  three 
times.® 

Rosaries  are  usually  blessed  with  prayers  and  holy  Avater  by  some 
duly  authorized  ecclesiastical  person  and  become  thereby  sacramen- 
tals,  that  is,  instruments  of  grace.^ 

The  name  ‘‘rosary”  (Middle  Latin,  rosarium)^  AAdiich  came  in 
vogue  for  the  devotion,  and  the  string  of  beads  by  which  it  is  per- 

In  a rosary  book  entitled:  Jesus,  Maria,  Joseph  (dated  1663),  the  15 
mysteries  are  comprehended  in  the  following  three  verses: 

She’s  told,  she  visits,  He’s  born,  ofifered,  found. 

He  prays,  is  whipped,  is  crowned,  carries,  is  killed. 

Rises,  ascends,  sends  down  ; she  dies,  is  crowned. 

^ Outside  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  rosaries  are  in  use  among  the 
Copts  in  Egypt.  They  generally  consist  of  42  beads,  or  sometimes  of  81,  and 
are  employed  to  count  the  repetitions  of  the  Kyrie  eleison  (Lord,  have  mercy 
upon  us!).  Compare  Alfred  J.  Butler,  The  Ancient  Coptic  Church  of  Egypt, 
Oxford,  1884,  II,  p.  238.  In  the  Orthodox  Church  when  a novice  is  consecrated 
into  the  “ second  grade  of  monastic  life,”  he  is  given,  among  other  things,  a 
chaplet  (called  in  Russian,  chotki,  in  Greek,  komhologion,  or  proseukhe)  to 
count  prayers  and  protestations  by.  Compare  D.  Sokolof,  A manual  of  the 
Orthodox  Churches,  New  York  and  Albany,  1899,  p.  15L 


352 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  NATIONAL  MUSEUM. 


VOL.  XXXVI. 


formed  since  the  fifteenth  century,  is  commonly  explained  as  a meta- 
phorical designation,  meaning  a wreath  or  chaplet  of  spiritual  roses. 
The  corresponding  words,  corona,  chaplet,  Eosenkranz,  capellina, 
all  convey  the  idea  of  a garland.  Garlands  of  flowers  were  much 
worn  at  that  period,  and  it  was  also  the  custom  to  place  such  garlands 
as  a mark  of  respect  or  admiration  upon  the  heads  of  persons  or 
statues.®  Rosarium  was  also  not  uncommonly  used  (like  fiorilegium) 
in  the  sense  of  an  anthology,  or  a collection  of  choice  extracts.  Others 
trace  the  name  to  the  title  “ Mystical  Eose,”  by  which  Mary  is 
addressed  in  the  litany  of  Loretto,  or  to  the  beads  being  originally 
made,  commonly,  of  rosewood.  In  the  middle  ages  many  other  names 
were  applied  to  prayer  beads,  as  pater  noster  beads,  fatriloquium^ 
devotiones^  precaria^  precula  (little  prayers),  serta  (chaplets),  nu- 
meralia^  calcula^  computum  (counters),  signacula  (marks),  etc.  The 
word  “bead”  (beade  or  bede)  originally  meant  a prayer;  to  “bid 
the  beads  ” and  to  “ pray  ” were  synonymous.  The  exjDression  “ bedes 
byddyng”  is  found  in  the  Vision  of  Piers  the  Plowman.  So,  also, 
Spenser  in  his  F aerie  Queene : 

All  night  she  spent  in  bidding  of  her  bedes 

And  all  the  day  in  doing  good  and  Godly  deeds. 

In  a bull  of  1571  Pope  Pius  V (1566-1572)  ascribes  the  inven- 
tion of  the  “ rosary,  or  Psalter  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,”  to  St.  Dominic 
(1170-1231),  the  founder  of  the  Dominican  order.  This  has  been 
commonly  understood  of  the  string  of  beads,  and  the  natural  infer- 
ence would  be  that  the  suggestion  came  to  western  Europe  through 
the  crusaders,  who  observed  the  Mohammedans  using  their  subha. 
Legend  has  it  that  the  Virgin  Mary  handed  St.  Dominic  a rosary 
from  heaven  as  a weapon  against  the  Albigense  heresy  and  the  in- 

®A  pretty  story  of  a garland  which  is  met  with  since  the  beginning  of  the 
thirteenth  century,  and  with  which  the  Rev.  Herbert  Thurston,  in  the  Scientific 
American,  already  quoted,  would  connect  the  name  “ rosary,”  may  find  here  a 
place.  The  legend,  as  given  by  Prather  Thurston,  is  this : “A  youth  was  ac-  • 
ciistomed  to  make  a wreath  of  roses  or  other  flowers  every  day  and  to  place  it 
upon  the  head  of  Our  Lady’s  statue.  He  became  a monk,  and  in  the  cloister 
his  occupations  no  longer  permitted  him  to  observe  this  pious  practice.  Being 
much  distressed,  he  asked  counsel  of  an  aged  priest,  who  advised  him  to  say 
50  aves  every  evening  (in  some  versions  it  is  150,  in  others  25),  which  would 
be  accepted  by  Our  Lady  in  lieu  of  the  garland.  This  the  young  man  faithfully 
observed  until  one  day,  being  upon  a journey,  he  had  to  pass  through  a lonely  ’ 
wood  where  robbers  were  lying  in  wait.  They  were  employed  in  watching  him, 
feeling  sure  of  their  prey,  when  he,  unsuspicious  of  their  presence,  remembered 
that  his  aves  were  not  yet  said  and  forthwith  stopped  to  say  them.  Then  to 
their  surprise  the  robbers  saw  a most  glorious  lady  stand  before  him  and  take 
one  after  another  from  the  lips  of  the  kneeling  monk  50  beautiful  roses,  which 
she  wove  into  a garland  and  placed  upon  her  head.  The  robbers,  so  the  legend 
tells,  conscience  stricken  at  the  vision,  were  all  converted  to  a better  life,  and 
themselves  soon  after  entered  the  monastery.” 


NO.  1667. 


COLLECTION  OF  ROIiARlE^^—CAHANOWICZ. 


353 


fidels.""  But  both  the  practice  of  often  repeating  prayers  and  the 
employment  of  some  device  for  recording  the  number  of  repetitions 
can  be  traced  to  a much  earlier  date,  so  that  St.  Dominic  can  only 
be  considered  as  the  originator  and  propagator  of  the  present  form 
of  the  rosary  and  the  method  of  devotion  (150  aves  and  15  pater 
nosters).  Thus  Sozomenus  (about  400-450)  relates  in  his  ecclesias- 
tical history  (book  vi,  chapter  29)  that  the  Egyptian  abbot  Paul, 
who  died  in  341,  recited  daily  300  prayers  which  he  counted  by  peb- 
bles gathered  in  his  cloak,  dropping  one  as  he  finished  each  of  the 
prayers.  The  same  means  for  reckoning  prayers  is  related  to  have 
been  used  by  St.  Godoric,  an  English  saint  who  died  in  1172.  The 
first  undoubted  mention  of  the  use  of  a string  of  beads  for  counting 
pra^^ers  is  that  of  Lady  Godiva,  wife  of  Leofric,  in  the  eleventh  cen- 
tur}^,  who,  when  dying,  bequeathed  to  the  monastery  of  Coventry, 
which  was  founded  by  her,  “ a circlet  of  gems,  which  she  had  threaded 
on  a string,  in  order  that  by  fingering  them  one  by  one,  as  she  succes- 
sively recited  her  prayers,  she  might  not  fall  short  of  the  exact  num- 
ber.” ^ The  practice  of  repeating  the  same  prayer  a number  of  times, 
often  amounting  to  more  than  a hundred,  must  have  spontaneously 
led  to  the  adoption  of  some  contrivance  for  keeping  an  accurate  rec- 
ord. It  would  seem,  therefore,  that  though  the  Buddhist  and  Mo- 
hammedan varieties  of  bead  chaplets  preceded  the  Christian  in  order 
of  time,  there  is  not  necessarily  a causal  connection  between  them. 

As  regards  the  arrangement  of  the  chaplet  into  50  or  150  beads, 
divided  into  decades,  the  total  number  of  150  corresponds,  as  men- 
tioned above,  to  the  number  of  Psalms.  For  the  recital  of  a certain 
number  of  pater  nosters,  which  was  originally  the  prayer  repeated  on 
the  chaplet,  as  its  designation,  pater  noster  beads,  in  nearly  all  Euro- 
pean languages  proves,  was  a substitute  for  the  Psalms  for  those 
monks  who  had  not  sufficient  education  to  learn  them  in  Latin.  Just 
as  the  Psalms  were  divided  into  fifties,  so  that  the  recitation  of  50 
or  two  fifties  or  three  fifties  was  a common  form  of  devotion,  it  Avas 
natural  that  50  paters,  or  twice  or  thrice  50,  should  be  enjoined  on 
those  Avho  could  not  read.  And  as  many  still  used  the  fingers  to 
count  with  it  was  natural  to  subdivide  the  beads  into  tenths. 

® In  liis  encyclical  of  September  2,  1883,  Leo  XIII  attributes  to  the  power  of 
the  devotion  of  tbe  rosary  the  suppression  of  the  Albigense  heresy  in  the 
twelfth  and  thirteenth  centuries,  the  victory  of  the  Christians  over  the  Turks 
in  the  naval  battle  at  Lepanto,  near  the  Echinades  Islands,  on  October  7,  1571, 
as  also  in  the  battle  at  Temesvar  in  Panonia  and  at  Corfu  in  1716.  After  the 
victory  of  John  of  Austria  over  the  Turkish  fleet  at  Lepanto  Pius  V established 
the  festival  of  “Our  Lady  of  Victory,”  which  Gregory  XIII  (1572-1582)  two 
years  later  changed  to  the  feast  of  the  rosary,  which  since  then  has  been  ob- 
served on  the  first  Sunday  of  October  as  the  anniversary  of  the  battle  at 
Lepanto. 

^ AVilliam  of  Malmesbury,  Gesta  Pontificum  Anglicorum,  book  iv,  chapter  2, 
edition  of  1596. 

Proc.  X.  M.  vol.  xxxvi — 09 23 


354 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  NATIONAL  MUSEUM. 


VOL.  XXXVI. 


XKg  nunibGr  and  arrangGiifient  of  tho  boads  woro,  howGver,  not 
always  imiform.  Eepresentations  on  tombs  from  the  fourteenth  to 
the  sixteenth  centuries  exhibit  rosaries  divided  into  nines,  sevens, 
sixes,  and  fives.  On  some  the  chaplets  count  80,  75,  40,  or  33  beads,' 
often  without  divisions  of  any  kind. 

Besides  the  “ Dominican  ” rosary,  or  the  “ Marian  Psalter,”  de- 
scribed above,  which  is  used  in  common  by  all  Catholics,  there  are 
other  varieties  of  chaplets  used  by  particular  religious  bodies,  or  for 
special  devotions.  So  the  chaplet  of  St.  Bridget  of  Sweden,  which 
consists  of  63  beads  for  the  aves,  to  commemorate  the  63  years  which 
Mary  is  sup230sed  to  have  lived,  divided  by  seven  beads  for  the  paters, 
the  crown  of  Our  Lady,  in  use  among  the  Franciscans,  has  72  aves, 
based  on  another  tradition  of  Mary’s  age,  and  others  more. 

During  the  middle  ages  the  patenotriers,  paternosterers,  i.  e.,  makers 
of  rosaries,  rej:)resented  an  important  branch  of  industry.  In  Lon- 
don a street.  Paternoster  lane,  was  called  after  them.  In  Borne  there 
is  still  a street,  near  St.  Peters,  called  Via  Dei  Coronari — corona 
being  a variety  of  pater  noster,  or  rosary.  The  existence  of  the  name 
in  various  countries  shows  that  the  production  of  the  rosary  was  a 
matter  of  commercial  importance.  Considerable  artistic  skill  and 
costly  material  went  into  the  manufacture  of  these  instruments  of 
jiiety,  which  were  also  worn  as  personal  ornaments.  In  the  inventory 
of  the  plate  and  jewels  of  Charles  V,  King  of  France,  in  1380,  there 
are  enumerated  19  rosaries  made  of  rose-tinted  amber,  jet,  coral 
with  jiearls  for  markers  {seignault)^  gold  beads,  rings  of  gold,  blue 
and  Avhite  enamel,  jet  beads  with  eleven  gold  crosslets  {croizettes) 
black  amber  and  jiearls,  coral  alternating  with  beads  of  silver,  and 
tAvo  instances  of  gold  beads  of  Damascus  Avork  Avhich  were  filled  with 
musk.  So,  again,  in  the  inventory  of  the  Princess  of  Orleans,  Valois, 
in  1408,  there  are  entered  a rosary  of  amethysts  and  jasper  Avith  a stud 
ihouton)  of  j)earls,  another  of  jet  with  nine  little  bells  {dandins)  of 
gold  and  a jewel  with  nine  pearls  as  a ^^endant,  and  another  again 
of  jet  with  nine  gold  markers  and  a gold  figurine  of  St.  Christopher 
attached.  Analogous  to  the  attachment  of  keys,  tAveezers,  etc.,  to  the 
Tibetan  rosary,  various  objects,  such  as  signet  rings,  cameos,  brooches 
Avere  often  sus^iended  from  the  Christian  rosary  in  the  middle  ages. 
As  a consequence  a certain  Avorldliness  and  extravagance  entered  into 
•the  use  of  these  objects  of  devotion,  Avhich  the  authorities  tried  to 
check.  Thus  the  municipal  council  of  Kegensburg,  in  1485,  decreed 
that  none  should  possess  more  than  three  or  four  rosaries,  and  that 
these  should  not  exceed  the  value  of  10  gulden.®  And  various  monastic 

® Compare  Johannes  Janssen,  Geschiclite  cles  dentschen  Volkes  seit  dem  Aus- 
gang  des  Mittelalters,  Freiburg  i.  B.,  I,  8th  edition,  1883,  p.  377.  Janssen  adds : 
“As  three  fat  oxen  could  then  be  purchased  for  12  gulden,  this  seems  a pretty 
generous  allowance.” 


NO.  1667. 


COLLECTION  OF  ROSARIES—CAf^ANOWICZ. 


355 


ordinances  are  extant  prohibiting  monks  from  having  beads  of  coral, 
crystal,  amber,  etc.,  and  nuns  from  wearing  beads  around  their  necks. 
On  the  other  hand,  beads  were  openly  carried  as  a sign  of  penance, 
especially  by  bands  of  pilgrims  visiting  in  procession  the  shrines, 
churches,  and  other  holy  places  of  Rome,  and  Avearing  of  the  beads 
at  one’s  girdle  was  a distinctive  sign  of  membership  in  a religious 
confraternity.  The  religious  military  orders,  notably  the  Knights 
of  St.  John  (founded  in  the  twelfth  century),  adopted  the  rosary  as 
part  of  the  equipment  of  the  lay  members,  who  were  required  by  their 
constitution  to  say  150  paters  each  day. 

By  the  devout  beads  were  especially  valued  if  they  had  been  worn 
by  a person  of  known  sanctity,  or  if  they  had  touched  the  relics  of 
some  saint,  in  which  case  they  were  believed  to  be  the  instruments  of 
miraculous  power  and  healing  virtue.  The  oriental  Christians  affect 
rosaries  made  in  J erusalem  and  other  holy  places  of  Palestine. 

Another  contrivance  for  counting  prayers  in  the  middle  ages  Avas 
the  so-called  ‘‘  decade  rings,”  or  ‘‘  rosary  rings.”  They  Avere  finger 
rings  having  ten  knobs,  or  bosses,  at  intervals  all  around  a hoop ; 
some  had  an  eleventh  knob  of  larger  size,  indicating  ten  aves  and 
one  pater.  An  additional  twelfth  knob  marked  the  repetition  of  the 
Creed.  Sometimes  the  knobs  were  separated  from  one  another  by 
three  small  beaded  dots,  perhaps  symbolic  of  the  Trinity.  They 
Avere  Avorn  by  some  classes  of  the  religious  during  the  hours  of  repose, 
so  that  on  awakening  during  the  night  they  might  repeat  a certain 
number  of  prayers,  marking  them  by  the  beads  or  knobs  on  the  ring." 

78.  Catholic  rosary. — The  full  or  greater  Dominican  rosary  of 
15  decades  of  beads  for  the  aves  and  15  larger  ones  for  the  paters 
are  made  of  ebony.  The  cross,  of  the  same  material,  is  framed  in 
silver-plated  nickel,  with  the  figure  of  Christ  on  one  side  and  a 
crown  of  thorns  with  a burning  heart  inside,  of  the  same  metal,  on 
the  other.  Length,  6 feet  9^  inches.  (Plate  28,  fig.  1.  Cat.  No. 
179075,  U.S.N.M.)  Collected  by  Dr.  G.  Brown  Goode. 

79.  Catholic  rosary. — The  full  or  greater  Dominican  rosary.  The 
beads  for  the  aves  are  of  glass,  Avhile  those  of  the  paters,  as  also  the 
three  introductory  beads  are  of  composition.  Length,  4 feet  4 inches. 
(Cat.  No.  179075,  U.S.N.M.)  Collected  by  Dr.  G.  BroAvn  Goode. 

80.  Catholic  rosary. — The  lesser  Dominican  rosary  of  five  decades 
of  beads  for  the  aves  and  five  larger  beads  for  the  paters,  made  of 
mahogany,  with  four  sets  of  double  circles,  or  ‘‘  eyes,”  carved  on  each. 
The  cross  is  likewise  formed  of  beads.  Length,  5 feet  3 inches. 
(Plate  28,  fig.  2.  Cat.  No.  179075,  U.S.N.M.)  Collected  by  Dr.  G. 
BroAvn  Goode. 

® Compare  AA'illiam  Jones,  Finger-ring  Lore.  Historical,  Legendary,  Anec- 
dotal, London,  1890,  pp.  248-253. 


356 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  NATIONAL  MCSEVM, 


VOL.  XXXVI. 


81.  Catholic  rosary. — The  lesser  Dominican  rosary  of  five  decades 
of  beads  made  of  ebony,  with  the  cross  of  the  same  material.  Length, 
4 feet  9 inches.  (Cat.  No.  179075,  U.S.N.M.)  Collected  by  Dr.  G. 
Brown  Goode. 

5^.  Catholic  rosary. — The  lesser  Dominican  rosary  of  five  decades 
of  very  large  oval  beads  coarsely  made  of  wood,  probably  worn  by 
some  religious  orders,  perhaps  Franciscans,  at  the  girdle.  Length, 
4 feet  5 inches.  (Cat.  No.  179075,  U.S.N.M.)  Collected  by  Dr.  G. 
Brown  Goode. 

8S.  Catholic  rosary. — The  lesser  Dominican  rosary  of  five  decades 
of  beads  made  of  olive  wood,  carved  with  intersecting  circles.  In 
place  of  the  cross  is  a bronze  medal,  three-fourths  of  an  inch  in 
diameter,  with  the  bust  of  Pius  IX  and  the  date  24  (the  number  of 
years  of  his  reign)  on  the  obverse;  on  the  reverse  is  the  figure  of 
the  Pope,  in  full  pontificals,  on  his  throne,  attended  by  cardinals,  and 
the  Latin  words,  ‘‘  Ecumenical  Council,  1869,”  referring  to  the  Vati- 
can Council,  which  was  opened  in  that  year.  This  rosary  was  blessed 
by  Pius  IX  in  1873.  Length,  37  inches.  Rome,  Italy.  (Plate  29, 
fig.  1.  Cat.  No.  168294,  U.S.N.M.)  Collected  by  Gen.  John  A. 
Halderman. 

81^.  Catholic  rosary. — The  lesser  Dominican  rosary  of  pearl-col- 
ored glass  beads.  The  place  of  the  pater  beads  is  taken  by  oval  metal 
plaques  engraved  with  the  image  of  Mary  and  an  invocation  to  her. 
It  has  no  introductory  beads.  Length,  28  inches.  (Cat.  No.  179075, 
U.S.N.M.)  Collected  by  Dr.  G.  Brown  Goode. 

85.  Catholic  rosary. — The  lesser  Dominican  rosary  of  black  glass 
beads,  rose  cut.  Length,  26  inches.  Philippine  Islands.  (Cat.  No. 
205535,  U.S.N.M.)  Collected  by.  Mr.  A.  J.  Gies. 

86.  Catholic  rosary. — The  lesser  Dominican  rosary  of  ivory  beads, 
faceted,  while  the  pater  beads  are  barrel  shaped.  In  place  of  the 
cross  is  a copper  medal,  IJ  inches  in  diameter,  having  on  the  obverse 
the  image  of  Mary  crowned,  with  the  infant  Jesus  in  her  arms;  on 
the  reverse,  a much-effaced  Latin  inscription.  Length,  40  inches. 
(Plate  29,  fig.  2.  Cat.  No.  179075,  U.S.N.M.)  Collected  by  Dr.  G. 
Brown  Goode. 

87.  Catholic  rosary. — The  lesser  Dominican  rosary  of  Job’s  tears. 
The  cross  of  ebony  is  set  in  brass  and  has  the  same  appurtenances 
as  the  one  described  under  No.  78.  Length,  33  inches.  (Plate  29, 
fig.  3.  Cat.  No.  179075,  U.S.N.M.)  Collected  by  Dr.  G.  Brown 
Goode. 

88.  Catholic  rosary. — Consisting  of  seven  sets,  each  having  seven 
beads,  made  of  composition.  This  rosary  is  used  in  honor  of  the 
seven  sorrows  of  Mary,  namely,  the  prophecy  of  Simon  (Luke  ii,  35)  ; 
the  flight  into  Egpyt  (Matthew  ii,  13)  ; the  losing  of  Jesus  in  the 


NO.  1667. 


COLLECTION  OF  ROSARIES— CASANOWICZ. 


357 


temple  (Luke  ii,  48)  ; seeing  Jesus  carrying  the  cross  (John  xix,  17)  ; 
standing  under  the  cross  (John  xix,  25)  ; the  piercing  of  Jesus’s  side 
with  the  lance  (John  xix,  34),  and  the  lowering  of  Jesus’s  body  into 
the  sepulcher  (Matthew  xxvii,  60).  In  place  of  the  pater  beads  are 
seven  brass  plaques,  representing  each,  on  one  side,  Mary  with  seven 
swords  piercing  her  heart;  on  the  other,  the  incidents  in  Christ’s 
life  enumerated  above.  The  cross  is  formed  of  beads.  Length,  33 
inches.  (Plate  29,  fig.  4.  Cat.  No.  179075,  U.S.N.M.)  Collected  by 
Dr.  G.  Brown  Goode. 

89.  Catholic  rosary. — The  lesser  Dominican  rosary  of  five  decades 
of  small  blue  glass  beads,  while  the  five  pater  beads  are  of  the  seeds 
of  the  Abriis  frecatorius  (called  “ crabs’  eyes,”  or  “ jumble  beads  ”). 
Inclosed  in  an  egg-shaped  box  of  bone.  Length,  12  inches.  Diam- 
eters of  the  box,  1 inch  by  three-fourths  of  an  inch.  Madrid,  Spain. 
(Plate  29,  fig.  5.  Cat.  No.  167020,  U.S.N.M.)  Collected  by  Dr. 
Walter  Hough. 

90.  Catholic  rosary. — The  lesser  Dominican  rosary  of  small  black 
glass  beads.  Instead  of  the  cross  are  two  oval  brass  plaques  bearing 
the  image  of  Mary.  Length,  22  inches.  (Cat.  No.  179075,  U.S.N.M.) 
Collected  by  Dr.  G.  Brown  Goode. 

91.  Catholic  rosary. — The  lesser  Dominican  rosary  of  small  green 
glass  beads.  In  place  of  the  cross  is  an  oval  brass  plaque  bearing  the 
image  of  the  Virgin  of  Guadelupe  of  Mexico.  The  paters  are  marked 
by  double  beads  of  the  same  size  and  color  as  the  aves.  Length,  26 
inches.  Mexico.  (Cat.  No.  179075,  U.S.N.M.)  Collected  by  Dr. 
G.  Brown  Goode. 

92.  Catholic  rosary. — The  lesser  Dominican  rosary  of  wooden 
beads,  painted  black.  Worn  at  the  girdle  by  members  of  the  Fra- 
ternity of  the  Misericordia  (Arciconfraternita  de  Santa  Maria  della 
Misericordia)  in  Italy.  Length,  50  inches.  Pisa,  Italy.  (Cat.  No. 
153893,  U.S.N.M.)  Collected  by  Dr.  G.  Brown  Goode. 

93.  Catholic  rosary. — The  Franciscan  rosary  of  seven  decades  of 
beads  made  of  composition.  This  rosary  is  used  for  the  devotion  in 
honor  of  the  seven  mysteries  in  the  life  of  Mary,  namely,  the  concep- 
tion (Luke  i,  26)  ; the  visitation  (Luke  i,  39)  ; the  nativity  (Luke  ii)  ; 
the  adoration  of  the  magi  (Matthew  ii)  ; the  presentation  (Luke  ii, 
21)  ; the  finding  in  the  temple  (Luke  ii,  41),  and  the  apparition  after 
the  resurrection  to  Mary.  The  rosary  is  provided  with  two  rings  for 
suspending  from  the  girdle.  Length,  6 feet  8 inches.  (Plate  30, 
fig.  1.  Cat.  No.  179075,  U.S.N.M.)  Collected  by  Dr.  G.  Brown 
Goode. 

91^.  Catholic  rosary. — The  lesser  Dominican  rosary  of  black  glass 
beads.  An  oval  bronze  medal.  If  and  If  inches  in  diameter,  which 
takes  the  place  of  the  cross,  has  on  one  side  the  bust  of  St.  Ignatius 


358 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  NATIONAL  MVSEVM, 


VOL.  XXXVI. 


Loyola  (1491-1556),  the  founder  of  the  Society  of  Jesus,  on  the 
other  the  figure  of  St.  John  of  Nepomuk,  the  patron  saint  of  Bo- 
hemia, who,  according  to  tradition,  was  martyred  in  1383.  The 
rosary  is  provided  with  two  rings  to  be  suspended  from  the  girdle. 
Probably  worn  by  Jesuits.  Length,  55  inches.  Plate  30,  fig.  2.  Cat. 
No.  179075,  U.S.N.M.)  Collected  by  Dr.  G.  Brown  Goode. 

95.  Catholic  rosary. — Used  in  the  devotion  of  the  crown  of  our 
Lord.  Consists  of  33  beads  made  of  wood  for  the  paters,  to  commem- 
orate the  years  of  Christ’s  life  on  earth,  and  five  for  the  aves,  in 
honor  of  the  five  wounds.  The  cross  is  substituted  by  a brass  medal, 
\\  inches  in  diameter,  engraved  with  the  instruments  of  the  passion 
and  the  latin  words,  “ The  passion  of  Christ  save  us,  the  passion  of 
Christ  comfort  me.”  Between  the  ave  beads  is  inserted  a piece  of 
bone,  IJ  inches  high,  carved  with  the  faces  of  Christ  and  Mary, 'and 
that  of  a skull.  Length,  47  inches.  (Plate  30,  fig.  3.  Cat.  No.  179075, 
U.S.N.M.)  Collected  by  Dr.  G.  Brown  Goode. 

96.  Catholic  rosary. — Consisting  of  three  sets  of  nine  beads  each, 
made  of  composition,  separated  by  an  oval  brass  plaque,  having  on 
one  side  a representation  of  the  Trinity,  on  the  other  the  gloria  in 
Latin.  Length,  21  inches.  (Plate  30,  fig.  4.  Cat.  No.  179075, 
U.S.N.M.)  Collected  by  Dr.  G.  Brown  Goode. 

97.  Catholic  rosary. — The  Franciscan  chaplet  of  seven  decades  of 
beads  made  of  composition.  (See  under  No.  93.)  The  cross  of  wood 
is  inlaid  with  mother-of-pearl.  Length,  42'|  inches.  (Cat.  No. 
179075,  U.S.N.M.)  Collected  by  Dr.  G.  Brown  Goode. 

98.  Catholic  rosary. — The  Franciscan  chaplet  of  seven  decades  of 
small  purple-colored  glass  beads.  (See  under  No.  93.)  Length,  33 
inches.  Philippine  Islands.  (Cat.  No.  205535,  U.S.N.M.)  Col- 
lected by  Mr.  J.  A.  Gies. 

99.  Catholic  rosary. — Consisting  of  51  beads  made  of  composition, 
strung  on  a cord,  with  crosses,  medals,  and  figurines  at  irregular  inter- 
vals. Length,  18  inches.  (Cat.  No.  179075,  U.S.N.M.)  Collected  by 
Dr.  G.  Brown  Goode. 

100.  Catholic  rosary. — Consisting  of  33  beads  made  of  olive  wood. 
Used  in  the  devotion  of  the  crown  of  our  Lord.  (See  under  No.  95.) 
Length,  44  inches.  (Cat.  No.  179075,  U.S.N.M.)  Collected  by  Dr. 
G.  Brown  Goode. 

101.  Catholic  rosary. — Consisting  of  33  small  blue  glass  beads. 
Used  in  the  devotion  of  the  crowm  of  our  Lord.  (See  under  No.  95.) 
Length,  19  inches.  (Cat.  No.  179075,  U.S.N.M.)  Collected  by  Dr. 
G.  Brown  Goode. 

102.  Catholic  rosary. — Consisting  of  26  beads  of  Job’s  tears  and 
composition  alternating.  Length,  13 J inches.  (Cat.  No.  179075, 
U.S.N.M.)  Collected  by  Dr.  G.  Brown  Goode. 


NO.  1667. 


COLLECTION  OF  ROSARIES— CA8ANOWICZ. 


359 


103.  Catholic  rosary. — Consisting  of  eight  decades  of  small  pink- 
colored  glass  beads.  Length,  36  inches.  Philippine  Islands.  (Cat. 
No.  205536,  U.S.N.M.)  Collected  by  Mr.  J.  A.  Gies. 

lOJf.  Catholic  rosary. — Consisting  of  thirteen  decades  of  beads  made 
of  black  wood,  without  the  introductory  beads.  Used  by  the  Tagalogs 
of  Luzon,  P.  I.  Length,  34  inches.  Luzon,  P.  I.  (Cat.  No.  216990, 
U.S.N.M.)  Collected  by  Mr.  Frank  F.  Hilder. 

105.  Catholic  rosary. — Consisting  of  nine  decades  of  beads  made  of 
black  wood.  Used  by  the  Tagalogs  of  Luzon,  P.  I.  Length,  33 
inches.  Luzon,  P.  I.  (Cat.  No.  216990,  U.S.N.M.)  Collected  by 
Mr.  Frank  F.  Hilder. 


U.  S.  NATIONAL  MUSEUM 


PROCEEDINGS,  VOL.  XXXVI  PL.  21 


Tibetan  Rosary  of  Shell  Beads. 

For  reference  to  plate  see  page  337. 


EXPLANATION  OF  PLATE  22. 


Fig.  1,  Rosewood  Rosary.  Ta-chten-lu. 

2.  Yellow  WOOD  Rosary.  Batang. 

3.  Mohammedan  Rosary,  of  Bone  and  Date  Seeds.  Hsi-ning-fu. 


U.  S.  NATIONAL  MUSEUM 


PROCEEDINGS,  VOL.  XXXVI  PL.  22 


Tibetan  and  Mohammedan  Rosaries. 

For  reference  to  plate  see  pages  338,  350. 


U.  S.  NATIONAL  MUSEUM 


PROCEEDINGS,  VOL.  XXXVI 


PL.  23 


Chinese  Official  Su-chu. 

For  reference  to  plate  see  page  339. 


U.  S.  NATIONAL  MUSEUM 


PROCEEDINGS,  VOL.  XXXVI  PL.  24 


Chinese  Official  Su-chu. 


For  reference  to  plate  see  page  339. 


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EXPLANATION  OF  PLATE  25. 


Fig.  1.  Kosary  of  Mother  of  Pearl.  Japan. 

2.  Shinto  Rosary,  of  Glass  Pieces.  Japan. 


U.  S.  NATIONAL  MUSEUM 


PROCEEDINGS,  VOL.  XXXVI 


PL.  25 


Japanese  Rosaries. 

For  references  to  plate  see  pages  343,  344. 


EXPLANATION  OF  PLATE  26. 


Fig.  1.  Double  Rosary  op  the  Jodo  Sect,  of  Mahogany.  Japan. 

2.  Rosary  of  Skull-shaped  Beads,  of  Walnut  Shells.  Japan. 

3.  ilosARY  WITH  Beads  Carved  to  Represent  rohans.  Japan. 


U.  S.  NATIONAL  MUSEUM 


PROCEEDINGS,  VOL.  XXXVI  PL.  26 


Japanese  Rosaries. 

For  references  to  plate  see  pages  345,  346. 


EXPLANATION  OF  PLATE  27. 


Fig.  1.  Mohammedan  Rosary,  of  Olive  Wood. 

2.  Mohammedan  Rosary,  of  Bloodstones. 

3.  Mohammedan  Rosary,  of  Horn. 

4.  Mohammedan  Rosary,  of  Composition. 


Cairo,  Egypt. 


Mount  Sinai,  Syria. 


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U.  S.  NATIONAL  MUSEUM 


PROCEEDINGS,  VOL.  XXXVI  PL.  27 


Mohammedan  Rosaries. 

For  references  to  plate  see  pages  349,  350. 


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EXPLANATION  OF  PLATE  28. 


Fig.  1.  Catholic  Rosary,  op  Ebony. 

2.  Catholic  Rosary,  of  Mahogany. 


U.  S.  NATIONAL  MUSEUM 


PROCEEDINGS,  VOL.  XXXVI  PL.  28 


Roman  Catholic  Rosaries. 


For  reference  to  plate  see  page  355. 


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EXPLANATION  OF  PLATE  29. 


— 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

Fig.  1.  Catholic  Kosary,  op  Olive  Wood.  Rome,  Italy. 

2.  Catholic  Rosary,  of  Ivory. 

3.  Catholic  Rosary,  of  Job’s  Tears. 

4.  Catholic  Rosary,  of  Composition. 

5.  Catholic  Rosary,  op  Glass  and  Seeds  of  Abrus  precatorius,  with  Egg- 

shaped  Box.  Madrid. 


U.  S.  NATIONAL  MUSEUM 


PROCEEDINGS,  VOL.  XXXVI  PL.  29 


Roman  Catholic  Rosaries. 

For  references  to  plate  see  pages  356,  357. 


EXPLANATION  OF  PLATE  30. 


Fig.  1.  Catholic  Rosary,  of  Composition,  with  Two  Rings. 

2.  Catholic  Rosary,  of  Black  Glass  Beads,  with  Two  Rings. 

3.  Catholic  Rosary,  of  Wood,  with  Carved  Piece  of  Bone. 

4.  Catholic  Rosary,  of  Composition. 


U.  S.  NATIONAL  MUSEUM 


PROCEEDINGS,  VOL.  XXXVI  PL.  30 


Roman  Catholic  Rosaries. 

For  references  to  plate  see  pages  357,  358. 


V 


